Gbajabiamila Meets All Speakership Aspirants

Mr Gbajabiamila said he has known and worked with all nine aspirants for many years.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday met with the nine aspirants jostling to replace him as speaker in the 10 Assembly.

Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila meeting with aspirants for the position of Speaker. Credit: Speaker’s Office

Mr Gbajabiamila, in a tweet on his timeline on Friday, said they are all men he has worked with for many years.

“Yesterday I met with aspirants for the office of the Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives in the coming 10th Assembly. All 9 aspirants I have known and worked with for many years and I have no doubt will do well in continuing and building on the legacy of the 9th Assembly,” he said.

Some of the men at the meeting include Deputy Speaker Idris Wase (APC, Plateau), Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), Muktar Betara (APC, Borno), Ben Kalu (APC, Abia), Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), Tunji Olawuyi (APC, Kwara) and Abubakar Makki (APC, Jigawa).

Others include Tajudeen Abbas (APC, Kaduna) and Aminu Jaji (APC, Zamfara).

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the aspirants have commenced the campaign while waiting for the decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on where the position will be zoned to..

The ruling party had in March met to discuss the zoning of the office, however, no decision was made on zoning.

Mr Gbajabiamila, while speaking to journalists after the March meeting held at the State House, said the decision will be taken after the governorship elections. The governorship elections were held on 18 March.

It is perhaps possible that the ruling party will wait for the outcome of the 15 April supplementary elections for taking a decision on zoning.

The results of only 325 seats were declared after the 25 February National Assembly elections. There are 360 seats in the lower chamber.

The chamber has had nine speakers since the return of democracy in 1999. Whoever emerges in June when the 10th National Assembly will be inaugurated will be the 10th speaker.