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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The inauguration of the 10th House of Representatives is still about three months away but the tussle for the positions of speaker and deputy speaker has commenced in earnest.
Though the speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, was re-elected into the House to represent Surulere Federal Constituency 1 of Lagos State, he may not continue in his present position, as he is from the same zone as the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Already, there are speculations that Gbajabiamila, who is Tinubu’s protege may move to the Executive Arm of government.
Results of the February 25 National Assembly poll, as released by the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC), indicates that the All Progressives Congress ( APC) has so far won a total of 162 seats to clinch the majority in the 360-member House.
The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) has 102 seats; Labour Party (LP) 34 seats; New Nigerian Peoples Party ( NNPP) 18 seats; All Progressives Grand Alliance ( APGA) four seats while the the Social Democratic Party ( SDP) and African Democratic Congress ( ADC) have two seats each. In addition, the Young Progressive Party (YPP) has only one seat. So, collectively, the opposition parties have a total of 163 seats, while elections into 35 constituencies across the country are yet to be concluded.
In line with parliamentary convention, the APC as the party with the highest number of seats is expected to produce the speaker and the deputy speaker for the 10th House. As is the tradition, several ranking members of the House, who were re-elected at the February 25 National Assembly polls, have thrown their hat into the contest for the speakership of the 10th assembly.
In the aftermath of the February 25 poll, stakeholders have stepped up lobbying for the speakership of the House to be zoned to their area, with the people of North West and North Central making very strong case for the seat to be ceded to them.
So far, all those aspiring to replace Gbajabiamila as speaker include the deputy speaker, Idris Wase; chairman House Committee on Appropriation, Muktar Betara; chairman, House Committee on Navy, Yusuf Gadgi and the chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Benjamin Kalu. While Betara is from Borno State, in the North East geo-political zone; Wase and Gadgi are from Plateau State, in North Central. Kalu, is from Abia in the South East geo-political zone.
A former chairman of the House Committee on National Intelligence in the 8th assembly, Aminu Jaji from Zamfara, is also among those in the contest. The House leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwo, from Kano, in the North West geo-political zone, is also believed to be interested in leading the 10th House. Similarly, some interest groups are also pushing for Olaide Akinremi to emerge as the next deputy speaker.
Those conversant with activities in the House agree that almost all those known to be interested in leading the Green chamber in the next dispensation are Gbajabiamila’s loyalists, who have played key roles in the House since the inauguration of the 9th assembly in 2019.
Betara and Wase had aspired to the speakership of the House in the ninth assembly. However, both men later withdrew from the contest and supported the emergence of Gbajabiamila as speaker. While Wase, who represents Wase Federal Constituency, emerged deputy speaker, Betara from Biu/Bayo/Shani Federal Constituency of Borno State, got
the chairmanship of the Appropriation Committee.
Consequently, with Gbajabiamila out of the contest, the deputy speaker and the Appropriation Committee chairman are eyeing the coveted seat again.
Analysts say while each of the contenders has one or two things going for them in the contest, the battle for who leads the Green chamber in the coming dispensation might be a tough one.
For instance, while Betara is very popular amongst members, he is from the same state as the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima. On the other hand, supporters of deputy speaker believe that this is an opportunity for the ruling party to repay him for his loyalty.
Regardless, inside sources say the odds seem to be in favour of Gadgi. The Navy Committee Chairman, who is also a former deputy speaker of the Plateau House of Assembly is believed to enjoy the confidence of top leaders of the APC, as well as his colleagues in the House. Besides, those pushing for 42-year-old Gadgi, believe that the incoming administration can leverage on his youthfulness to connect with the younger generation.
Similarly, those in the know say Kalu, who represents Bende Federal Constituency, might also stand a chance depending on how the zoning pans out.
Nevertheless, none of the aspirants for the speakership of the 10th assembly has made his aspiration public. The lawmakers, it was gathered are keeping their gun powder dry pending a pronouncement on the zoning formula for principal officers position in the 10th assembly by the APC. The APC leadership and the President-elect had met with newly elected members of the National Assembly, on Monday, to amongst other issues deliberate on sharing of offices in the next dispensation.
Regardless, while aspirants to the speakership position are awaiting the APC zoning formula, before going public with campaigns for the coveted position, analysts say the composition of the next House may be the ultimate factor on deciding who succeeds Gbajabiamila as speaker.
In recent times, the National Assembly, especially the House, is known not to adhere strictly to party zoning in the choice of its speaker and deputy speaker. Recall that in 2011, while the PDP zoned the speakership to South West with Mulikat Akande as its preferred choice; Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, with the support of then opposition lawmakers led by Gbajabiamila, emerged speaker to the chagrin of the party.
Also, in 2015, despite the endorsement of the incumbent speaker by the APC as its preferred candidate for the leadership of the Green chamber, immediate past Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, with the support of opposition lawmakers defeated the former to clinch the plum position. Similarly, in 2019, Umar Bago, from Niger State North Central, with the support of PDP lawmakers challenged Gbajabiamila for the speakership seat, albeit unsuccessfully.
Therefore, in the run-up to the inauguration of the 10th assembly, members of the APC, who might be aggrieved with whatever zoning formula the ruling party might come up with are likely to collaborate with the opposition to push their ambition.
The members of the opposition are not unaware of their strategic role in deciding who will emerge as the presiding officers of the lower chamber of the National Assembly from middle of June, when the next assembly will be inaugurated. Nevertheless, pundits argue that the challenge might be the ability of the various opposition parties that will make up the 10 assembly to forge a common front. This is especially as the opposition parties seem to have different leanings.
For instance, while Labour Party members might be more disposed to working with the PDP as the major opposition party, the NNPP is believed to be more pro- APC.
Analysts say with163 members at the moment, there is the likelihood that irrespective of whatsoever zoning arrangement the APC might come up with, the opposition might ultimately be the deciding factor in the choice of who becomes the speaker of the 10th House.
