The leadership crisis rocking the House of Representatives, in the countdown to the inauguration next month, worsened yesterday when a group of lawmakers aspiring to be Speaker of the House rejected a meeting with the Vice-President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima.

The lawmakers, assembled under the aegis of G7, described the meeting as a move to railroad members into endorsing Abass Tajudeen as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The G7 made this position known in a statement signed by the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase, Majority Leader, Ado Doguwa, Mukhtar Betara Aliyu, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, Sada Soli, Maryam Onuoha and Aminu Sani Jaja, yesterday evening, in Abuja.

They said: “The group of seven (G7) has become aware of a purported invitation to members-elect to meet with the Vice President-elect, His Excellency Senator Kashim Shettima.

“We wish to inform the members-elect that the Vice President-elect, His Excellency Kashim Shettima, has not extended any such invitation.

“This is a ploy by Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and his campaign handlers to gather members-elect to escort him on a private visit to the Vice President-elect to promote his candidacy and create the appearance of acceptability where no such exists.

“This invitation is another attempt at misdirection and subterfuge by Honourable Tajudeen Abbas and his campaign handlers, who, recognising that the unfortunate attempt to impose a leadership on the House of Representatives cannot succeed, have decided to use underhand means to achieve their ambitions.

“This attempt is one of many unfortunate developments in recent days, including the use of threats and intimidation against members-elect.

“We wish to use this opportunity to denounce these attempts and put the perpetrators on notice that we will resist any and all attempts to ridicule the House of Representatives in service of the private ambitions of a few individuals.”