Flex posters adorn the House of Representatives making the National Assembly wear the facade of a convention ground..Different faces stare at would be Voters- this time their colleagues, 359; of them- to persuade them of their sterling qualities.
This is an indication that the speakership contest has begun and whoever thinks he’s fit has thrown his hat into the ring.
The momentum is building as various declarations revealed that lawmakers from the north make up the bulk of those vying to take over the Speakership position from the incumbent Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila in June 2023.
The innauguration of the 10th House is just a matter of days away and meetings of caucuses are holding, lawmakers of the National Assembly are lobbying and concluding actions in syncrony with their ambition.
Although, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is yet to zone the presiding officers positions hence it is not yet clear which geo-political zone the speaker is likely to emerge from, there are speculations however that the speakership will be zoned to North Central or North West, while that of the senate president would likely be zoned to the South South or South East. People are therefore working with these assumptions
Already there are allegations of inducement and dollars flying around, with candidates promising what they can and can’t deliver to their colleagues.
One of the strongest contenders is the incumbent deputy speaker, Idris Ahmed Wase, from Plateau State who is definitely interested in the position. Another lawmaker is Muhtar Betara from Borno State. Yusuf Gagdi, and Alhassan Ado-Doguwa are also interested in becoming the next speaker of the 10th House., So are a plethora of others. Kalu, the spokesman of the House just indicated interest in the position a couple of days ago, saying he should be compensated for being the only surviving APC member in his state.
Idris Ahmed Wase: Plateau State (North Central
In 2018, Wase was appointed the Deputy leader of the House following the death the former deputy leader, Buba Jubril.
He was elected into the lower Chamber of the National Assembly in 2007 under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Subsequently, he won reelection and is now in his 4th term as a federal lawmaker.
Sequel to the 2019 elections, Wase declared his intention to run for the Speakership position but was convinced by his party to support Femi Gbajabiamila as speaker. His loyalty was rewarded as he was made the Deputy Speaker.
He has been building capacity in the 7th and 8th Assembly, in the position of the Chairman on Federal Character until he emerged as Deputy Leader.
Order 7 Rule 2(2) of the House states that “the Deputy Speaker shall be the chairman of the whole House …” thereby often putting The Deputy Speaker in the spotlight for the roles that he discharges in the House Committee of the Whole, which statutorily he chairs.
–all bill, motion and petition must pass through him daily in the course of legislative business.
Therefore, the powers he has garnered on his daily legislative workings is such that he is alleged to have used these powers albeit as stated in the House Rules, to tilt his actions oftentimes to the biddings of the presidency and for other personal purposes.
But it may also be argued that what was exhibited at those times was the Deputy Speaker deliverying messages of the passage of bills that the Executive or the House Leadership has interest in.
Similarly, it has been averred that Wase’s action were somewhat controversial during the passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill and Petroleum Industry Bill as he behaved true to type by being intolerant to dissenting voices.
Unlike Gbajabiamila, Wase is also said not to have patience for long debates, Gbajabiamila indulges members, and they can be at plenary for hours on end.. Wase would rather refer matters to relevant Committees than have members debate such issues on the floor.
While guiding the House during plenaries, wase on umpteenth times have been accused of involving himself in debates which he should not do as a presiding officer, and swaying debates or foisting a position on the House.
However, the news that the election from his constituency is “inconclusive” is a damper on his ambition.
Yusuf Gagdi: Plateau State (North Central)
Rep.Gagdi represents Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency of Plateau State, He is the Chairman of the House Committee on Navy, and is amongst those said to be angling for the position of the Speaker of the 10th session.
Fortunate to have been re-elected in the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections despite the high rate of non-returning members
Like his colleague from Nasarawa State, Gagdi has had a stint as the Deputy Speaker of the State’s House of Assembly before winning the election into the 9th Assembly. He also previously held offices as Legislative Aide to Deputy Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly between 2003 and 2006; Member of Plateau State Library Board 2012- 2014 and Chairman of Federal Board, Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority (LBRBDA Makurdi 2012 – 2014.
He also served as Chairman of Special Committee on peace, security and reconciliation Plateau State 2015; Chairman Special Committee on Peace, Security and Reconciliation Plateau State 2018; as well as Financial Secretary of PDP Plateau State 2012 – 2014.
Aminu Jaji Sani: Zamfara State (North West)
Aminu Jaji from Zamfara State who was recently elected in the just concluded 25 February 2023 National Assembly election is amongst those rumored to be eyeing the number one seat in the Green Chamber.
He was the Chairman, House Committee on Intelligence and National Security in the 8th assembly in the House of Representatives but could not get reelected in the 9th assembly.
Jaji who was a governorship aspirant in 2019 in Zamfara was also the Director of Contact and Mobilisation for the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council for the North West zone.
However, there may be friction as his ambition may meet stiff opposition since Aliyu Betara representing Biu Kwaya federal constituency of Borno State who happens to come from the same zone with him has thrown his hat into the ring.
Aliyu Betera: Borno State (North West)
The current chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations Betara, who is returning to the House of Representatives for an impressive 5th time is also immersed in the speakership race.
Elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, Muktar Aliyu Betara is representing Biu, Bayo, Kwaya Kusara and Shani Federal Constituency of Borno State .
He is among the longest-serving in the House having been first elected in 2007 under the platform of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP). Since then, he has been re-elected three times, emerging as one of the few members to have served in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth assemblies with the current and immediate past tenures secured on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Between 2007 and 2011, Betara acted as chairman of the sub-committee on NDIC, banking and currency. He also served as a member of the House committee on interior and was subsequently appointed as chairman of the sub-committee on Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension Office (CIPPO).
In the seventh assembly (2011 to 2015), he served as the chairman of the House Committee on the army, directly making recommendations to empower and sustain the activities of the army against the rising insurgency in the Northern region of Nigeria from 2015 to 2019.
Betara’s ambition for the speakership position has been in abeyance for a while and could be traced to as far back as 2019 when he contested but was prevailed on due to pressure from the powers-that-be to sacrifice his desire for Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.
He was subsequently rewarded with chairman of the House Committee on defence as well as chairman of the Committee on Appropriation.
Betra emerged unopposed as the candidate of the APC for Biu, Bayo, Kwaya/ Kusar and Shani Federal Constituency.
He received overwhelming support from the people of his constituency, who had contributed money to purchase the nomination and expression of interest form for him, to return to the House for the fifth term.
The determined lawmaker has the financial muscle to gather the required number of the new members-elect to achieve his ambition even though the zoning formula does not favour him.
It was learnt that a good number of his colleagues who have benefited directly from his goodwill are ready and willing to pay back by supporting his ambition.
Betera sponsored four bills in the current assembly.
Benjamin Kalu
Member representing Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, Hon. Benjamin Kalu has formally declared his intention to join the race for the position of Speaker of the 10th Assembly, with a promise to ensure Parliamentary independence if elected.
Hon. Kalu who doubles as incumbent Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, gave the assurance during a media chat with Parliamentary Correspondents in Abuja.
While noting that Nigerians need a Speaker that has the capacity to achieve cohesion, national unity, inclusiveness that will bring everybody together for the purpose of achieving prosperity for the nation, Hon. Kalu assured that he has the capacity and competence to lead the Green Chamber having served meritoriously as the Spokesman of the 9th Assembly and other positions.
He said: “Nigerians are looking for a Speaker that will increase what I call parliamentary sovereignty where the motions, the resolutions and independence of the arm of government would be showcased better than 9th assembly.
He admitted that the 9th assembly had struggled to maintain its independence, which has called for somebody that will take the lead and sustain that independence.
“Many people say rubber stamp but we have always consciously monitored the borderline in the way we sustain this racer free relationship with the executive., understanding the doctrine of separation of power, knowing the borderline between what is expected by the mandate of our arm of government constitutionally speaking and where the mandate of the executive starts.
“So, Nigerians are looking for parliamentary sovereignty, Nigerians are looking for the speaker that will increase institutional trust. You and I will agree that the coming of the legislature appears like a strange arm of government especially when Nigerians have been used to the military rule – the executive and the judiciary.
“The issue becomes who is that man that will increase the credibility, the capacity, the knowledge base legislative intervention that would gladden the hearts of nigerians to begin to understand that really this is the fulcrum of our democracy.
“The institutional trust is key in the minds of nigerians and I’m a nigerian as well so, I know what all of us are looking for. Who is coming to sustain what has been done by these builders who have started the building and had laid bricks and who would take it up from there?
The House Spokesman also assured his Colleagues and Nigerians of his resolve to prioritize laws bothering on education, economy, economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction, insecurity and healthcare and environmental sustainability, if elected as the next Speaker of the 10th Assembly.
He said: “It is a Speaker that is gender sensitive that will reopen that space and begin to see reasons what they did not pass though before the president and then begin to give it the sense of belonging.
“So, prioritising education is what is in the mind of nigerians. Laws around education, laws around the economy, economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction, insecurity and healthcare and environmental sustainability.
“These are some of the things that the speaker that is coming on board should be equipped to be able to deliver and I know Benjamin Okezie Kalu has been equipped to represent 369 members as the image maker of the house of representatives for 4 years and was no mean feat and we have discharge our responsibility creditably well, making sure that the image of the National Assembly where we met it was not lower than where we are leaving it, to climb to the next pedestal.
“We have tried our best to ensure that both at the constituency level, both at membership level, both the relationship between members and relations between arms of government and the vertical relationship with the executive, we have sustained that relationship and kept our image through public engagement we have always yearning listening to the of Nigerians as it pertains to transparency to be able to open up the space so that we can reduce the opaqueness in the activities of the of the House of Representatives,” Hon. Kalu assured.
Deputy Speakership position
Lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from South West region are already warming up for the deputy speakership position even when the party was yet to come out with a definite position. The likes of Rep.Tunji-Ojo from Ondo State and Rep. Prince Olaide Akinremi popularly known as Jagaban representing Ibadan North Federal Constituency of Oyo State have indicated interest in the race even though they are yet to come out publicly.
Recall that Tunji-Ojo once headed the House Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) but controversially resigned due to corruption allegations leveled against him by the then chairman of NDDC board.
Rep. Akinremi has just one bill and Tunji-Ojo sponsored four bills in three years of the 9th Assembly.
However, things are not yet clear, hence the APC has not come up with a final decision on which geopolitical region will produce the next Speaker. But everyone is waiting with bated breath.
