Rep. Muktar Betara (APC-Borno), an aspirant for the office of the Speaker in the 10th National Assembly, has assured all members-elect across party lines of equal representation if elected.
Mr Betera gave the assurance at a meeting with some members-elect in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
In a statement issued after the meeting, Mr Betara, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, met with the members-elect and other stakeholders on the sidelines of the ongoing lesser Hajj in the holy land.
According to the statement, the meeting was attended by returning and newly-elected National Assembly members from Adamawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Gombe, Jigawa and Bauchi.
It said that the members-elect at the meeting pledged unflinching support for Mr Betara and applauded his leadership quality.
They also commended him for the support provided over the years to his contemporaries, irrespective of their religious, ethnic and party affiliations.
The members-elect, who are expected to be sworn-in in June 2023, acknowledged the high sense of humility demonstrated by Mr Betara.
They described him as “an achiever, bridge-builder, unifying factor, team players, detribalised leader of uncommon virtues and a role model.”
The lawmakers said that Mr Betara remained the most popular aspirant in the race, given his generous disposition and responsiveness to members’ welfare, hence their resolve to support his ambition.
One of the returning lawmakers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, commended Mr Betera for heeding the clarion call to provide quality leadership in the 10th assembly.
The lawmaker said that all the members-elect were aware of the significant roles played by Mr Betara in the emergence of successive speakers and other officers in the current and past assemblies.
“Most of us are also aware of his resolve to shelve his ambition of becoming the speaker in the previous assemblies and, as a loyal party-man, align with the party’s zoning arrangement.
“For those in the know of how things panned out in the outgoing assembly, I can tell you for free that Betara played significant roles in averting serious crises all through, which helped in stabilising this assembly,” the rep said.
The lawmaker said that the members-elect should be allowed to exercise their franchise, as provided by the Standing Order and relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The rep said that the caucus had all it takes to rally the required support for Mr Betara, expressing hope that all would be in favour of the aspirant at the inauguration of the 10th assembly.
NAN
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