By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja

The dream of House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Appropriations, Hon. Aliyu Mukhtar Betara, has received a major boost, as the current Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, Majority Leader, Ado Doguwa and other bigwigs in the House, have defied the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to root for Betara, vowing to fight for independence of parliament.

This is coming amidst condemnations of the ruling party’s choice of Abass Tajudeen for Speakership of the 10th House of Representatives.

All the strategic members of the 9th House, most who are in the Speakership race, are angry with the APC and appeared to have found a force in Betara’s candidacy, to prove their points against the party that sought to rubbish them.

Betara’s declaration on Monday night was attended by Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Chairman of the Committee on Navy, Yusuf Gagdi and Hon. Sada Soli, all of whom have declared their intentions to run for speakership of the 10th Assembly.

Wase during his goodwill message faulted APC’s choice of Abass whom he said was not known to members of the House, urging his colleagues to guard against any attempt at hijacking the parliament.

“Again, I want to add that we are here to ensure the independence of the parliament. To ensure that we work together. Every Parliamentarian must rise to the occasion. We will work as a team. We will not allow this parliament to be hijacked. We will not allow this parliament to be made a lame duck. I believe we are loyal to our country first, loyal to our party and loyal to our people.

“When you say you have a consensus candidate, the language for consensus is that  there  have been mass consultations, people go to the table for discussion. There is agreement. In this case, we just saw and we are hearing rumours, speculations that some people have been made consensus candidates.  I don’t know whether that is the meaning of consensus. This place  is very sacred. We must be honourable in our action in defence of  the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, Wase said.

Also speaking, Doguwa said the parliament must always be allowed to choose its leaders, noting that it was not for outsiders to decide, who leads the House.

“One message I want to send across is that the parliament is one institution that must always be allowed to choose its own leaders. The business of our leadership should be solely our business and no other person’s business.

“In a situation where you have some people in whatsoever guise trying to decide our leadership, to form our leadership from outside without consulting us I think that should be seen as a mere failure. I remain available for consultation until that is done, everyone will answer his father’s name,” he said.

Betara in his speech said he was working in collaboration with other aspirants for the project.

“My name is Muktar Aliyu Betara. I am from Borno State. Much has been said about Betara. I invited all of you here to declare for the speakership of the 10th Assembly. I am supposed to read this my speech but I think it will take time. All has been said about me. The most important thing today is for me to declare that I am contesting for the speakership.

“Today is our day for members-elect and for former members of the parliament. You are seeing all the aspirants here. They came to support me because we are one family. We are moving as a group. We have been in the system for years. I was a member in the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Assemblies.

“The deputy speaker that we came in together, we have been close and I think I am the best friend to the deputy speaker when we came in the 6th Assembly. We have been in one family, we are together but in politics sometimes he will on the other side and I will be on the other side. But today we are together for this movement. When I invited him, he joined me today for my declaration here he honoured it and my DS (Deputy Speaker), I am very grateful for the honour you gave me today.

“For my brother Hon. Gagdi, I remember when Gudaji went for his declaration, he said Betara is one man that doesn’t say no and why I cannot say no to my colleagues is sometimes when your colleague comes to you, he needs your assistance, if I cannot provide all, at least I can do small. That is the main reason I cannot say no.

“Honourable Colleagues, as the engine room of the legislature, Rt Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila gave me a name, he calls me the Head boy. I was surprised for my friend, my boss to nominate one person outside all of us here. If today the deputy speaker of the House is contesting, the chairman Appropriation is contesting, the majority leader is contesting, then who is closer to the speaker? So nobody. He is bringing one person that members of the 9th Assembly I can tell you some of us even don’t even know the person is speaking – a lot of us. So, Honourable Colleagues today I am here before you as Honourable members to declare that I am contesting for the speakership of the 10th Assembly. Thank you very much,” the Speakership hopeful stated.

Also speaking, Director General of the Betara Campaign Organization, Hon. Dickson Tarkigir said, “our constituents and indeed Nigerians are expecting us to break new grounds and approach the new horizon that will be symbolized by life made better for our constituents, and our nation as the ultimate justification for being elected.

“It has been said that to know a healthy fish, check the head, this simple test, instructively is not for fishes alone, but will be apposite in our situation today, to realise that the nature of the personality who leads the 10th assembly House of Representatives, will substantially influence us to succeed or otherwise as individual members and corporately as the House of Representatives.

“It then behooves on us to realise that we must ensure that we elect the next speaker with clarity of thought and sufficient information on a number of parameters.

“To assume that just anyone can do the job will be taking a shot in the dark, and that will be failing in our duty.

“The decision must therefore be made consciously, without fear or favour, or ill will,” he said.