With two weeks to the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, the legislative watch unit of Civil Society Central Coordinating Council has advised one of the speakership aspirants, Hon. Miriam Onuoha to withdraw from G-7 and support the Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and Hon. Benjamin Kalu’s ticket for speaker and deputy speaker.
The group at a press conference in addressed by its legal adviser, Barr. Anderson Achilike urged Onuoha to in the spirit of brotherhood and respect for party supremacy, jettison her ambition and support her brother Kalu, who is the only candidate endorsed by the APC from the south east.
The legal adviser explained that their call was premised on the fact that “In terms of experience and competence, she can’t be compared to Hon. Benjamin Kalu, as the APC consensus candidate has the perfect qualification and experience to preside over the affairs of the House as a deputy speaker with legal background.
“She shouldn’t allow the other members of the aggrieved G-7 aspirants to deceive her. Rather she should in the spirit of brotherhood support her Igbo brother, Benjamin Kalu. The Igbos need to be united now more than ever.”
He said even if Kalu was not endorsed by the party, “Hon. Miriam Odinaka Onuoha, representing Okigwe North/ Onuimo/Isiala Mbano federal constituency of Imo State is not eligible to contest for speaker or deputy speaker of the 10th assembly haven joined the House not up to 3yrs ago and recently underwent her first induction as a lawmaker few weeks ago with the first timers.
“She has barely spent almost three years in the House of Representatives and she’s aspiring for a principal officer position, which is against the House rules. She has not completed a full term and can’t run for any principal position in the house .
He further noted that Onuoha contesting for the presiding officer positions is against the House rules, which clearly states that members without requisite legislative experience are not allowed to contest for principal office positions.
He pointed out that Onuoha just had her first induction with the 10th assembly members-elect, as she was not inducted in 2019 due to issues surrounding her election.
According to Achilike, she does not have the support of Imo or South east lawmakers who are voting for the All Progressives Congress consensus candidate, Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
“Miriam Odinaka Onuoha won election into the federal House of Representatives in 2020. Obinna Onwubuariri of the PDP was declared winner for the 2019 election, but the National Assembly election petition tribunal in Owerri in September 2019, sacked Onwubuariri, and ordered a fresh election for January 2020. She won the tribunal ordered election, so she’s less than four years in the parliament “
