Rep. Nkiruka Onyejeocha (APC-Abia), says she is still very much in the race for the office of the speaker of the incoming 9th National Assembly.
Onyejeocha, Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, spoke on Thursday in Abuja, while reacting to reports which claimed that she was stepping down from the race to settled for chief whip.
“Why will I want to bargain for anything less than the office of the speaker? I am a very serious minded person, I do not give into frivolities and will not be a game for anybody.
“I will not use speakership to bargain for anything, it is more comfortable for me to sit down and remain a ranking member than going through the stress.
“I am very much in the race,” she said.
Onyejeocha said that she was not worried about the amount of endorsements of other aspirants in the media.
She said as a politician, she was aware that endorsement does not translate to votes.
According to her, there is time, those that have endowed one person or the other can still change their minds, life is about change and people can change their minds on the day of the election.
Onyejeocha said that it was still possible for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to consider all the agitations and issues put forward to move Nigeria to the next level and change its position on the zoning.
It could be recalled that the APC had zoned the office of the speaker to the South West and endorsed Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila (APC-Lagos) for the office.
“It is all about the next level, it is all about peace and inclusiveness and President Muhammadu Buhari promised that this second term, he will make sure that women are included in governance.
“I am a loyal party member and I believe that the party will, by God’s grace, see what is good as good, and what is bad as bad and change its position,” she added.
Onyejeocha promised to prioritise and continue with the legislation not completed by the 8th Assembly if elected speaker.
The parliamentarian said that she had outlined a 7-point legislative agenda that would be implemented if elected speaker.
She stressed the need for the electorate to know their legislators and their functions and also know the difference between legislators and other elected officers in the executive.
The lawmaker said that most electorate think that a legislator should spend four or eight years in office which should not be so.
Onyejeocha said that for a legislator, the more the time spent in office the better as experience acquired over the years would be required for making good laws.
