The coast is getting clearer for Tajudeen Abbas, the All Progressive Congress’s preferred candidate for the House of Representatives speakership as Aliyu Betara and Yusuf Gagdi jettisoned their aspirations.
Theliberationnews gathered that the duo made known their withdrawal from the race known after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima, on Sunday.
Recall that the ruling party had nominated Abbas and Benjamin Kalu for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 10th National Assembly respectively.
The meeting was attended by Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and Niger Governor, Mohammed Bago who was also a member of the 9th Assembly.
When The Nation contacted, an aide to Hon. Gagdi confirm the development he said: “Have you seen the video making the round after a meeting with the President and the Vice President? That is the position for now. You can wrote your story along that line’.
The Tajudeen Abbas/Benjamin Kalu media campaign team announced Betara and Gagdi have stepped down from the race.
The campaign team said: “It is worthy to note that Betara and Gagdi announced that they stepped down for Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas today, Sunday June 11, 2023 after a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
“As of Sunday June 11, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas (PhD) has secured the endorsement of the overwhelming majority of members-elect across the eight political parties in the six geopolitical zones, and he is ready to compete on the floor of the House and take the mantle of leadership of the 10th House come Tuesday, June 13, 2023”.
With the withdrawal of Betara and Gagdi from the race, only Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase, Sani Jaji and Sada Soli are left to slug it out with Abbas when the House is inaugurated on Tuesday
