Some new members-elect of the House of Representatives have rejected having a "bully" as the 10th speaker.

The members-elect, however, backed Hon. Muktar Betara's bid for speaker and have commenced a nationwide sensitisation tour for him.

Betara, a ranking lawmaker from Borno, chairs the House Committee on Appropriations.

The new members-elect are from the All Progressives Congress (APC), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Labour Party (LP), among others.

The leader of the group, Ismail Haruna Dabo, in a statement, said they had resolved to support Betara irrespective of their party affiliations.

He said the nationwide tour, which will cover the six geo-political zones, was to create more awareness for Betara's bid for the speakership.

He said, "In furtherance of his campaign, Hon. Betara, who doubles as chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, has proved to the world that he is capable of leading the over 300 lawmakers.

"As you know, we do not want a bully as a leader in the 10th House of Representatives; that is why he is our anointed candidate and we chose to begin awareness from Enugu," he said.

Dabo said the campaign and solidarity tour was to secure the support of other stakeholders for Betara's speakership bid.

He said the solidarity tour which kicks off from the South East will take the delegation to the South West and south south in the days ahead.