On Saturday, the non-governmental organization, Democrats Alliance for Good Governance (DAGG), strongly condemned the report that Hon. Tajudeen Abbas from Kaduna State and Hon. Benjamin Kalu from Abia State were secretly adopted as the speaker and deputy speaker, respectively, of the 10th House of Representatives. A group of members-elect also expressed their disapproval, calling it an insult to parliamentarians and the National Assembly as an institution. The coalition’s national coordinator, Dr. Williams Martins, stated in a statement to journalists in Abuja that they were disappointed and felt betrayed, as the preferred aspirant was taken to meet the president-elect. The group claimed that elected public office holders cannot allow someone to recklessly impose any candidate on the people’s parliament, warning against any action that may frustrate a united 10th assembly and the tenets of democracy. The group called for adherence to the constitution on the independence of the legislature and urged the president-elect and outgoing speaker to avoid any act that could damage their reputations. One of the aggrieved lawmakers who spoke anonymously dismissed insinuations over the alleged ill feelings against Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and Hon. Benjamin Kalu, stating that the choice of who will lead the 10th assembly will be determined by the will of the people and their constituents.
