Two major speakership aspirants, Aliyu Betara and Yusuf Gagdi have stepped down for the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tajudeen Abbas for the position of speaker of the House of Representatives.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had revealed its preferred candidates for the National Assembly leaderships, Senate Presidency and speakership.
The party picked Senator Godswill Akpabio as Senate President and Barau Jibrin as deputy senate president of the 10th National Assembly.
It also announced Hon. Abbas Tajudeen and Ben Kalu as Speaker and deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.
But Abbas announcement was met with protest from some interested members of the APC, including Muktar Betara and Yusuf Gagdi.
However, Betara and Gagdi on Sunday announced their withdrawal from the race after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
In a statement on Sunday, Tajudeen Abbas/Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu Joint Task Campaign Office stated that the aspirant alongside others have formally stepped down for Abbas, thereby dismantling the Group 7 (G7) aspirants who were initially opposed to his candidacy.
Announcing the decision on Sunday, Vice President Kashim Shettima said they stepped down “because what binds us together is superior to whatever that divides us.”
Also former Member of the House of Representatives and member-elect for the 10th House, Abdulmumin Jibrin said, “After weeks of discussions, persuasions, political dexterity of the new chief of staff, wise counsel of the vice president and most importantly intervention of Mr President, Hon Muktar Betara and Yusuf Gagdi stepped down from the speakership race and support Hon Tajudeen Abbas.”
The campaign office also dismissed the speculations that the Abbas candidacy was not known to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.