A splinter group has emerged from the minority coalition of the 10th National Assembly and has declared its support for Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu as the speaker and deputy speaker, respectively. This development comes after the minority coalition announced that it was looking for a candidate to support, having failed to produce a candidate from within its ranks to challenge the ruling party.
The new faction, led by Idu Igariwey, announced its endorsement of Abbas and Kalu after a meeting held in Abuja on Monday. The decision was made during the minority coalition’s ongoing meeting. Igariwey’s faction decided to endorse the duo, while the primary coalition was yet to come to a decision.
“In the next few days, we will be meeting in a larger caucus of the minority parties to discuss and formalise the adoption of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker designates of the 10th Assembly of the House of Representatives,” read a statement issued by the faction.
The decision of the breakaway group to endorse Abbas and Kalu has come as a surprise to many, as the minority coalition had previously disclosed plans to look for a candidate to back. However, the new faction’s move appears to have undermined the minority coalition’s efforts to present a united front ahead of the elections.
According to political analysts, this development could have significant implications for the minority coalition’s chances of winning leadership positions in the National Assembly. It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold in the coming days and how it will affect the country’s legislative process.
