Opposition Lawmakers in Nigeria's House of Representatives Threaten APC's Hold on Speaker's Position

Strategic Insights -

As Nigeria's political landscape continues to unfold, opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives are considering a historic shift in the power dynamic. With the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) facing intense competition from opposition parties, a member of the opposition caucus revealed that the caucus is mulling the option of electing one of their own as Speaker of the 10th National Assembly.

According to a breakdown of the figures, the opposition parties hold 181 seats, with the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) having 118 seats, Labour Party (35), the New Nigerian People's Party (19), and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (5). In contrast, the APC has 175 seats.

Key Takeaways:

  • Opposition lawmakers are considering electing one of their own as Speaker of the 10th National Assembly, threatening APC's hold on the position.
  • The opposition caucus has not foreclosed support for a member of the ruling APC for the seat, provided the favored candidate of the APC stakeholders enjoys a warm relationship with colleagues in the House.
  • Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Honourable Muktar Aliyu Betara from North East, is being advocated for as a potential candidate for Speaker.
  • The APC national secretariat has indicated that the race for speaker is between the North-West and the North-Central, with incumbent deputy Speaker, Idris Wase (Plateau, North Central), and Tajudeen Abass (Kaduna, North-West) emerging as leading aspirants.
  • A lawmaker from the APC dismissed the opposition's plan as a "tall dream," citing the difficulty of 181 lawmakers giving a block vote to a candidate and the influence of the president-elect's warm relationship with certain opposition figures.

Statistics:

  • Opposition parties hold 181 seats in the House of Representatives, while the APC holds 175 seats.
  • The PDP holds 118 seats, Labour Party (35), the New Nigerian People's Party (19), and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (5).

Sources:

  • Nigerian Tribune
  • Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
  • Labour Party
  • The New Nigerian People's Party (NNPP)
  • All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
  • Social Democratic Party (SDP)
  • Action Democratic Congress (ADC)
  • Young People's Party (YPP)