on Mohammed Umar Bago, 45, APC, Chachanga Federal Constituency of Niger State, is a third timer in the House of Representatives. In this chat, he spoke on his ambition and why the North Central zone of Nigeria must produce the next speaker. He said on Tuesday that if the APC had zoned the speaker’s position to the South-East he would not have bothered to run for the office. Bago disclosed this at a cocktail he hosted for new and returning House members in Abuja.
“The vice president is from South West and you want the speaker too to come from Lagos, no that’s not equity. “I am in this race because of this inequity that the North-Central has suffered for over 20 years.” While receiving leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Students NANS led by its President, Comrade Bamidele Danielson Akpan in his campaign secretariat in Abuja, yesterday, Bago said nothing will stop him from contesting for the seat.”There is no retreat, no surrender.
Secondly, there is going to be concerted effort to tangibly impact our constituents and constituencies. I will equally work towards an independent legislature free from rancour. I will promote an open and transparent legislature with legislative support for the fight against corruption, insecurity and revamping of economy.That is also part of what we will look into and it is part of the Bago plan.
It is said that your zone has been massively marginalised in the House of Representatives since 1999, could this be the reason you are contesting?As for the marginalisation of my zone, the facts are there for you to see. We have never produced a speaker for 20years and in the last election we are rated third in terms of votes garnered for the party.
If the position of speaker is zoned out of our zone then it is a glaring injustice to us. We have worked hard for our party.