By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The opposition parties in the House of Representatives are to hold a retreat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom to finetune their plans and strategies against plans of the All Progressives Congress, APC to advance Rep Tajudeen Abbas as speaker.
Member-elect Bashir Gorau speaking in an interview on AIT Kaakai programme disclosed that the retreat would come out with definitive names for speaker and deputy as against the proposals of the APC.
He said that 243 members-elect across all political parties were involved in the agenda to frustrate the APC's plans on Abbas as speaker and Benjamin Kalu as deputy speaker
“10th Assembly is going to receive people from other political parties more than ever before. We are going to consider people who have the capacity to preserve the independence of the parliament. So if we lose in brining people to preserve that independence we would have failed as a parliament,” he said in observing the plans of the opposition against Abbas as speaker.
The former commissioner for youths in Sokoto State asked of the allegation of a $15 million booty shared among members-elect denied the claim saying:
“I don't think I have heard or seen of anybody offering money but as for me, I have not been approached.”
Following the February 25 National Assembly election, the opposition parties were credited with a total of 180 members while the APC had 175 members
