Date: 2019-04-23

Various interest groups within the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress have expressed different opinions on which area the next Speaker of the state House of Assembly should come from.

While the APC elders from Kwara South favoured the North Senatorial District to produce the next Speaker, a group, Legacy/Foundation Group, is of the opinion that the Speaker should be an experienced lawmaker from the South Senatorial zone of the state.

Christian and Muslim clerics in Offa, Kwara South Senatorial District have also insisted that the only returning lawmaker out of the 24 lawmakers-elect should emerge as the next Speaker.

Elders of Kwara South Senatorial District, in a statement by their Chairman, Bamisaiye Ayeni, on Monday, called for the zoning of the position of Speaker to the northern part of the state in the interest of fairness and justice.

"The people of Kwara South Senatorial zone hereby echo their support for the emergence of the Speaker of the House of Assembly from Kwara North Senatorial zone. We are totally committed to this position," the group said.

Ayeni said it was only fair to concede the speakership slot to the North since the remaining two districts, Central and South, had produced the state governor and deputy governor, respectively.

He said while there was nothing bad in anyone nursing an ambition, such ambition must engender peace and unity among the people.

The statement added, "While people reserve the right to pursue their ambition, Kwara South Senatorial elders believe that ambition must be tamed and must not be wild to the point of threatening our unity which is capable of truncating our focus on good governance and commitment to providing dividends of democracy to the good people of Kwara who have been so marginalised for so long.

"We can better achieve this in the atmosphere of fairness, equity and justice.

However, foundation members of the APC in the state, at a press conference addressed by their Chairman, Alhaji Abdulganiyu Saka, said the party did not sign any agreement with the people of Kwara North that it would produce the next Speaker.