The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the speakership position of the House of Representatives of the incoming 10th Assembly, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas has said he would not be or lead a rubber stamp House if he emerges the speaker.
Recall that Abass who represents Zaria federal constituency of Kaduna State, northwest zone had been favoured by both the president-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the party to become the speaker of the next assembly.
Appearing on a programme, Politics Today on Channels TV, the candidate said his credentials and pedigree were what singled him out of the lots, adding that the president-elect was impressed by them.
Abbas is known in the outgoing 9th Assembly as the highest bill sponsor with about 78 bills. Twenty-one of the bills had been assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari. He added that like every other contestant, he had at one time or another met with Tinubu to discuss with him.
He said: “Each and every contestant for the speakership has at one time or the other visited the president-elect and also visited the members of the NWC for their blessings. I, just like most of them, had cause to visit the president-elect last week, to present myself, to introduce myself, and to also inform him of my aspiration to be the Speaker of the 10th Assembly.
“We had a very engaging discussion with him. At the end of the day, I can tell you he was very happy with my candidature. He prayed for me and also told me that he would do everything possible to ensure that if it is North West that this particular position is zoned to, he would ensure that justice and fairness are done to all the contestants.
“I want to believe, first and foremost, that he is impressed with my legislative contributions. I have told him I’ve been in the National Assembly since 2011, and I’ve been there now for almost 12 years back-to-back, and I’ve contributed in sponsoring a lot of bills.
“In the 8th Assembly, I sponsored 43 bills, which gave me the number 1 ranking in terms of those who sponsored bills. And in the 9th Assembly, I had the singular honour of sponsoring 74 bills, out of which 21 have been assented to by Mr. President, and they’re now laws in the country.
“Beside that, I went to tell him where I come from, my academic background, that I was a teacher in primary school. I was the head of an accounting department of a polytechnic from 1989 to 1993. I was also a head of banking and finance of a polytechnic again between 2003 and 2005. I was the founding head of accounting of the Kaduna State University.
I told him my private sector experience, that I was a marketing manager with the Nigerian Tobacco Company, which is now the British American Tobacco. I told him my journey there up to the time when I became the general manager of a subsidiary company before I resigned and went back to the classroom in 2001.
He is impressed with my credentials, the places that I have worked, particularly in the public and private sectors, and also my modest contributions in the National Assembly. I’m sure whatever makes him to say he is happy with me is probably because of those experiences, the qualifications that I have.
“What makes them think that I am weak? The fact that you don’t come out to insult anybody? The fact that you are a team player; you play along with everyone, you live along with everyone in the House? You don’t have enemies, you have only friends? The fact that you contribute more than any other member in the 9th Assembly? That you are qualified based on public and private sectors’ experience? Does that make me weak?
