10th Reps: I’ll work for all Nigerians - Speaker Abbas

alongside his deputy, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, to thank the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, for the support given to them to emerge as the Presiding Officers of the 10th House.

He said they did not take the First Lady’s support for granted, which was why they resolved to visit and thank her, saying the 10th House would give the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration all the support to succeed.

Abbas said the current administration would have a smooth sail as the President, the Vice President, the First Lady, the Chief of Staff to the President, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation were all members of the National Assembly, a development that would make them relate with the Parliament from the point of knowledge.

“This is the first time we are having this kind of arrangement in our history,” the Speaker said, adding that the 10th House would ensure that the government succeeds.

He said: “Today is a very historic day. We have come to thank you for your support. We were here before to seek your support and prayers. Here we are today; we have won. It was through your collective efforts— Mr. President, yourself, governors and all the other stakeholders.

“We have emerged in an unprecedented manner—353 out of 359 voted for me. It has never happened in our history. Our leadership is a leadership for all Nigerians.

“This is your leadership. We’ll collaborate and partner, particularly in one area that you requested last time, which is to carry the women along.”

He said the 10th House would ensure that gender-based bills being passed by the 9th Assembly but not signed into law were reconsidered and passed by the 10th House.

The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, in her remark, congratulated the Speaker and his deputy on their victory, saying with the caliber of leadership and membership of the 10th Assembly, Nigeria would be great again.

“We didn’t come out to play. We came out to build and unite the old path that generations will take. Nigeria deserves all that we can put to keep it back on its feet. We have a great Nation,” she said.

“Your victory, it’s God that did it because without God, even if we put all our strength, it won’t happen. By the grace of God, we will work,” she said, calling on other political parties to join hands and work for Nigeria.

Earlier, the Deputy Speaker, Kalu, said the visit was to thank the First Lady and assure the first family of their readiness to work with the Executive for the growth and development of Nigeria.

He said the president and his wife inspired and encouraged them before, during and after the contest for Speaker, noting that President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) made the right choice by endorsing the current leadership of the National Assembly.

“We want to pledge again. We won’t fail you. What happened means stability had been given to this government. He has encouraged people who believe in his mission and vision.”

Also speaking, the chairman of the Joint Task - 10th Assembly, Rt. Hon. Usman Bello, whose forum ran the Abbas/Kalu Campaign, said as responsible and respectful individuals, they deemed it fit to visit the First Lady and thank her for the role she played in the emergence of the two Presiding Officers.

“We are here to say thank you to you for being supportive of your husband. Your Excellency, you are unique. The country is

Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas (PhD)

lucky to have you as the mother of the nation. You’re coming from the point of knowledge because you were with him when he was governor, you were in the National Assembly, and now you’re the mother of the nation.

“You have given us a lot of support for Tajudeen and Kalu to emerge. We also want you to thank our father, the father of the nation, for what he did to us. We want to reiterate our unflinching loyalty to the President and the country. We know you’d advise him from the point of knowledge to make the country better.”