PDP dismisses claim on NASS minority leadership

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Ahead of today’s inauguration of the 10th National Assembly and the election of its presiding officers, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed the rumour making the rounds and purporting that certain individuals have been designated for Minority leadership positions.

The party said this in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba in Abuja.

Such rumours and reports, Ologunagba pointed out, do not represent the true position of affairs in the party and among its National Assembly memberselect.

For clarity, the PDP made it succinctly clear that it is on the same page with its lawmakerselect in focusing, for now, on maximizing its numerical strength with other opposition Parties to determine the emergence of the Presiding Officers of the two chambers of the National Assembly on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 and will not allow any distractions at this moment.

The interest of the PDP, according to Ologunagba, is to ensure that whoever emerges as the Speaker of the House of Representatives must be a person with long standing relevant managerial and legislative experience, leadership capacity and past legislative achievements as a member of the House of Representatives.

Ologunagba assured that at the right time, the PDP together with its members in the National Assembly will speak with one voice on any issues with regard to other leadership positions in the federal legislature.

The party therefore urged Nigerians to disregard the said rumour and reports as the Party and it’s members-elect at the moment have “our eyes on the ball on the election of the Presiding Officers of the two chambers of the National Assembly in the general interest of the people of Nigeria”.

The statement by Ologunagba reads, “The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to rumours and reports making the rounds and purporting that certain individuals have been designated for Minority leadership positions ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly slated for Tuesday, June 13, 2023.

“Such rumours and reports do not represent the true position of affairs in our Party and among our National Assembly memberselect.

“For clarity, the PDP is on the same page with our lawmakers-elect in focusing, for now, on maximizing our numerical strength with other opposition Parties to determine the emergence of the Presiding Officers of the two chambers of the National Assembly on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 and will not allow any distractions at this moment.

“The interest of the PDP is to ensure that whoever emerges as the Speaker of the House of Representatives must be a person with long standing relevant managerial and legislative experience, leadership capacity and past legislative achievements as a member of the House of

Representatives.

“At the right time, the PDP together with our members in the National Assembly will speak with one voice on any issues with regard to other leadership positions in the federal legislature.

“The PDP therefore urges Nigerians to disregard the said rumour and reports as our Party and members-elect at the moment have our eyes on the ball on the election of the Presiding Officers of the two chambers of the National Assembly in the general interest of the people of Nigeria”, it said.