I’m Not Running For Speaker To Settle For Principal Officer — Miriam Onuoha

Princess Miriam Onuoha, the only female aspirant for the office of the Speaker, says her eye is on the number one seat in the 10th House of Representatives and not to be a principal officer.

Onuoha made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

“To be a principal officer is no longer a new thing in the House of Reps. Currently in the 9th assembly, the Deputy Chief Whip is Rep Nkiruka Onyejiocha and that position has not given her the necessary leverage to act for the women as she would want.

“I do not aspire to be in that category of principal officers because that is not a presiding office.

“I am running to be a presiding officer of the 10th House of Reps Speaker because I know that I am qualified and have the experience to transform the national assembly,”

She said her motive was to transform the House of Reps to a citadel as an example to other legislators in the world.

She said the women have not been adequately included in the management of the House of Representatives affairs, noting that the time has come to change the narrative.

“The attribute of a woman is inclusiveness. A woman breaths life and a woman nurtures. At this time of our political history,” she said.

Onuoha, who has since 2015 represented Okigwe North Federal Constituency in the Green Chamber, secured re-election into the 10th Assembly in February and is the only female contestant in the Speakership race.

She is the House Committee Chairperson on Disability.

Other lawmakers jostling for the seat of the Speakership of the 10th House include incumbent Deputy Speaker; Ahmed Wase, Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), Benjamin Kalu (APC, Abia); Aminu Jaji (APC, Zamfara); Makki Yalleman (APC-Jigawa), Tajudeen Abass (Kaduna); Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), Muktar Betara (APC, Borno), Abdulraheem Olawuyi (APC, Kwara).