Speakership race: Betara, Yusuf Gagdi step down for Tajudeen Abbas

Two speakership aspirants — Aliyu Betara and Yusuf Gagdi — have stepped down for Tajudeen Abbas, the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the position of speaker of the house of representatives.

Betara and Gagdi agreed to withdraw from the race after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima, on Sunday.

The ruling party had recently nominated Abbas and Benjamin Kalu for speaker and deputy speaker of the 10th national assembly, respectively.

The nomination of Abbas by the APC was rejected by some lawmakers, including Idris Wase, the immediate-past deputy speaker.

Wase has insisted that he will contest the speakership position during the inauguration of the 10th national assembly on Tuesday.

Speaking after the meeting, Shettima commended the duo for stepping down for Abbas, adding that President Tinubu was “quite touched” by their gestures.

“They have accepted to step down and accept the candidature of Hon. Tajudeen Abbas for the speaker of the house of representatives.

“The president was quite touched by their gestures because what binds us together is superior to whatever that divides us.

“We are one big APC family and together we shall cross the Rubicon on Tuesday,” he said.