500 CSOs endorse Yusuf Gagdi to become Speaker of 10th National Assembly

The groups declared their support for Gagid, a lawmaker representing Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke of Plateau State at a press conference saying purposeful leadership is necessary in the country.

In a statement signed by Okwa Dan, the Convener of the Nigerian Unity Project, the groups maintained that there’s a need for the incoming administration to hit the ground running towards translating the people’s hopes into tangibles.

The groups explained that the legislature is an essential arm of the government, adding that the relationship of the lawmakers and the executives have a role to play in promoting good governance.

The statement reads in part: “The elections have come and gone, and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has emerged as the winner. However, that is the first leg of our quest towards making Nigeria great again. The second leg is the election of principal officers of the Legislative arm of government, which is an essential factor in the governance of the country.

“As a coalition of pro-democracy civil society organizations, we believe that the legislature and executive are two important political institutions in presidential democratic regimes. They have a very critical task to play in promoting good governance. However, the achievement of this task depends on whether the relationship between these institutions is constructive or conflictive.

“Consequently, the quest for good governance in Nigeria has been threatened more by the unending conflicts between the legislature and executive, who are often entangled in a constant battle for supremacy and control of the policy-making and implementation process, thereby jettisoning the tenets of the principles of separation of powers which clearly states that the three arms of government namely, legislature, executive and judiciary shall be independent of the control of each other.

“We must agree that the above has been a challenge that has constituted a clog in the wheels of progress in the country hence the need to get it right with the choice of principal officers in the incoming 10th National Assembly”.

On the debate about the next Speaker of the House of Representatives, the groups said they have identified Gagdi as a competent and ideal candidate to lead the green chamber.

The group described Gagdi as a reliable lawmaker, whose grasp of issues surpasses his age.

“As concerned stakeholders in the Nigerian project, we are constrained to lend our voice to the debate on the suitability of candidates for the speakership of the 10th Assembly because it is of utmost importance that we get it right with the leadership of the National Assembly, the group said.

“The name Hon Yusuf Gagdi has continually rang a bell in the race for the speakership of the Federal House of Representatives. It didn’t come as a surprise to lovers of democracy because he has exhibited a passion and commitment to the Nigerian Project’s success during his political career, culminating in his election as a member of the Federal House of Representatives.

“Hon. Yusuf Gagdi is a legislator and a leader whose grasp of issues surpasses his age. He is a reliable and competent lawmaker with all it takes to lead the Federal House of Representatives, given his cosmopolitan nature and the tremendous respect he commands from colleagues, party leaders and other concerned stakeholders”.

The groups further said, “there is no doubt that Hon Yusuf Gagdi is a pacesetter whose contributions on the floor of the Federal House of Representatives have been noteworthy and indeed worthy of emulation. He has sponsored bills that got presidential assent as a first-time Federal House of Representatives lawmaker. This is aside from his laudable achievements as a member and Deputy Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly.

“Hon Yusuf Gagdi is a lesson in leadership. It reinforces our stance that leadership is not about age, ethnicity or religion. It is about capacity, experience and competence, all of which Hon Yusuf Gagdi has exhibited on several fronts and occasions.”

The Nigerian Unity Project, therefore declared its support Gagdi for the speakership position, adding that none of the candidates contesting the position could match his records.

The groups further described Gagdi as a unifier that would bring his expertise to bear in ensuring the unity of the lower chamber, as well as eliciting the necessary support for the executive arm of government in the governance process.