Meet the 15 contenders for House of Reps Speaker: Chances, challenges

Ahead of the June date for the proclamation of the 9th session of the House of Representatives, the race for the House Speakership has began in earnest with no fewer than 15 jostling for the country’s number fourth position.

Those interested in taking over from Yakub Dogara, the incumbent Speaker are Femi Gbajabiamila (Lagos), Abdulrahman Sumaila ( Kano) Ahmed Wase (Plateau) Mohamad Monguno (Borno), Olusegun Odebunmi (Oyo), Abdulrazak Namdas (Adamawa), Khajidat Bukar-Ibrahim (Yobe) and Yakub Buba (Adamawa).

Others include,  Alhassan Ado-Doguwa (Kano), Umar Bago (Niger), Babangida Ibrahim-Mahuta (Katsina), Nkiruka Onyejeocha (Abia), Suleiman Aminu (Kano), Abubakar Lado (Niger) and Muhammed Kazaure (Jigawa).

Though the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC with majority in the House of Representatives has not formally zoned the position of the Speaker to any of the six geopolitical zones, reports that the party has anointed Gbajabiamila, House Leader for the office indicated that APC intends zoning the position to South West as it did in 2015.

This is just as the party presented Ahmad Lawan, Senate Leader from North East for the office of the Senate President as it also did in 2015.

But as it stands now, there are aspirants for the office of the Speaker from five out of the six geopolitical zones while there is no contender from the South South zone. Out of the 15 aspirants, South West has two, South East one, North West four, North East five and North Central three.

Even before APC tilted towards South East for the position of the Speaker, the North Central geopolitical zone has called on the party to zone the position to it for inclusion, fairness and reward for working for the success of APC at the general elections.

North Central Caucus of the ruling  All Progressives Congress, APC in the House  of Representatives led by John Dyegh (Benue) demanded that for justice and fair play, the position  should  be zoned  to the Central to make it have sense  of belonging.

“We the members of the North Central Caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives called this briefing to express our position with respect to the leadership position of the 9th assembly.

“It is in this regard that we humbly wish to appeal to our great party, the APC, to strongly consider the North Central geo-political zone for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th assembly. Our position is based on the following reasons:

“Zoning the position of speaker to the North Central will satisfy and advance the cause of equity since the North-west and South-west already have the presidency and vice presidency respectively.

“We note that apart from the North West and North-East, the North Central zone delivered handsomely for the party in the general elections and as such needs to be rewarded for the hard Work and loyalty.

“The need to ensure balance and spread between and among the six geo-political zones has made it imperative to give prime consideration to the North Central zone to produce the position of speaker”, said.

Also, reliable sources in APC had revealed that, “the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives, which was initially expected to go to the Southwest, may now be conceded to North Central and probably to a Christian.

“The consideration is that Buhari is from Northwest and is a Muslim while there is the possibility that the incoming Senate President, may also be a Muslim and probably from North East. In order to keep the present status quo where the president and the senate president are Muslims and the Speaker a Christian, the party will consider a Christian from the North Central as speaker”.

All contenders for the position of Speaker have their chances and challenges, thus:

Gbajabiamila, House of Representatives Majority Leader who has been re – elected for the fifth term to represent Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos State from Southwest. He is a consummate Legislator who  by the end of his second tenure in 2007 had sponsored the highest number of Bills in the National Assembly amongst all the legislators. Gbajabiamila was

Minority Leader in House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015 and was credited to be instrumental this the merger of political parties into the present APC. He contested for office of the Speaker in 2015 but was defeated by the incumbent, Dogara.

Gbajabiamila is again into the contest for the office of the Speaker and has been reportedly endorsed by his party. By all standards, Gbaja as fondly called is the best man for the job and he enjoys the support of his colleagues across party lines. However, the same issue of party endorsement that worked against him in 2015 has reared its ugly head again. Also, the

permutations of the Southwest having the Vice President and Speaker of the House at the same time and the need to maintain the status quo of having Christian Speaker with Muslim Senate President is definitely would constitute an obstacle for him.

Ahmed Wase, Deputy Majority Leader, House of Representatives is also in the contest for the office of the Speaker and currently represents Wase Federal Constituency in Plateau State – North Central. The third term Member of the House of Representatives was before Deputy majority Leader, Chairman House Committee on Federal Character.

Wase stands good chances of becoming the next Speaker of the House of Representatives being a ranking Member, a principal Officer and from North Central geopolitical zone that is seriously agitating for the office for equity and balance. In a country like Nigeria where religion underpins the socio -political consideration Wase’s ambition may suffer set back based on

the argument of having a Christian Speaker from the North Central.

He is the immediate past Senior Special Assistant to the President on

National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives) who had served three

terms in the House of Representatives and was elected again at the general

elections. Sumaila is from the Nigerian North West State of Kano who was

Deputy Minority Leader between 2007 and 2015 served as a member of

constitutional amendment committee between 2007-2011 and was member

Governing Council of National Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS). He

is a good material for Speaker of the House of Representatives with the

above legislative and general leadership acumen but according to the

Nigerian political culture, Sumaila from the same geopolitical zone

(Northwest) with President Muhammadu Buhari would find it difficult

becoming the Speaker.

He is a third term Member of the Federal House of Representative

representing Ogo-Oluwa/Surulere Federal Constituency from South West.

Odebunmi was elected two times on the platform of PDP and for the third

time under APC. He is presently the Chairman at Information and National

Orientation, Ethics & Values Committee (Reps) from June 2015 to May 2019.

Odebunmi has fulfilled all the requirements of been elected Speaker,

however the endorsement of his only contender from Southwest by APC would

seriously work against him even if the position is eventually zoned to his

region.

Abdulrazak Saad Namdas is a member of the Federal House of Representatives,

representing Jada/Ganye/MayoBelwa/Toungo Federal Constituency of Adamawa

State under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and

currently the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Affairs. The second

term Lawmaker has declared his intention of taking over from Dogara and is

eminently qualified to be same based on experience and contacts but his

ambition remains threatened following the endorsement of Lawn also from

North East for the position of Senate President, hence having presiding

officers for the two legislative chambers from the same geopolitical zone

may not be feasible at this stage of the country democracy.

Alhassan Ado Garba was first elected to the Nigerian National Assembly’s

House of Representatives under the defunct SDP in 1992.

Alhassan Ado succeeded in returning to the House of Representatives in 2007

where he became the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Niger Delta

Development Commission (NDDC). The people of Tudun Wada/Doguwa Federal

Constituency re-elected Doguwa in 2011 and was made House Committee

chairman on MDGs. He also served as the African Network of Parliamentarians

on MDGs Chairman.

In 2015, Garba was elected to serve for the fourth term in the Lower

Chamber where he was overwhelmingly elected as the 8th Assembly’s Chief

Whip and was recently re-elected to the House under the platform of APC. He

met the requirements of becoming the Speaker of the House of

Representatives. However, realizing his dream with Buhari as President from

Northwest is a herculaneum task.

Garo was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives from 1992 to

1993 under the platform of the National Republican Convention N.R.C. and

from 1995 to 1996, under the United Nigeria Congress Party, U.N.C.P.

representing the Kabo/Gwarzo constituency of Kano, Northwest. He bounced

back to the House of Representatives  from May 2011 to date and presently

the Chairman of Tertiary Education & Services Committee. As a ranking

Member with rich political background in the legislature, Garo can make it

to the Office of the Speaker but coming from the same geopolitical zone of

Northwest with Buhari could be a stumbling block for him.

Mohammed Mongunu (APC, Borno) is a ranking member who has just been

re-elected for the fifth term just as Gbajabiamila. In 2015, the APC had

presented the duo of Gbajabiamila and Monguno as Speaker and Deputy

Speaker, respectively.

He has been Chairman of Agricultural Production and Services Committee

(Reps) from 2011 to 2019. Mongunu’s aspiration to become Speaker of the

House is not out of place based on experience, exposure and contacts but

the endorsement of Lawan from Northeast where he also hailed from is a

major set back for him.

Yusuf Buba Yakubu, the House of Representative Member representing

Hong/Gombi Federal Constituency of Adamawa – Northeast. Yusuf Buba has

declared the intention to contest for speaker of the 9th Assembly. This

ranking member is the only Christian from the ‘North’ vying for this

position and if the crave for maintaining the status quo of a Christian

Speaker is considered by APC, Buba is on the verge of clinging the number

four position in Nigeria. Nonetheless, the endorsement of Lawan from

Northeast would work against him.

Ibrahim Babangida Mahuta represents Malumfashi/Kafur Federal Constituency of Katsina State where he has been since 2011 to date. He has been the Chairman of Finance Committee (Reps) from 2015 to 2019. Babangida Mahuta by ranking and Committee headship experience is eminently qualified to the Speaker more so that he generally enjoys the goodwill of his colleagues across party divides. However, following Nigeria’s political calculus he cannot be Speaker at the same time that Buhari is the President as they are all from Katsina State and Northwest Zone.

Mohammed Umar Bago is the Member representing Chanchaga Federal Constituency of Niger State He has been in the House of Representatives from 2011 to date and is currently the Chairman of Marine Safety, Education & Administration Committee (Reps). Apart from being a ranking member of three terms, Bago is from Niger State of North Central where there are serious agitations for the zoning of the Speaker to and if that happens, he would be on advantage. But then, the religious undertone of the demand for a Christian Speaker is

a factor against him.

Abubakar Abdullahi is a member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Gurara/Suleja/Tafa Federal Constituency of Niger State.

Between the 2011 and 2015,  he was a member of the Niger State House Of Assembly. In the 2015 elections, he  contested for the Federal House of Representative under APC and was re-elected during last general elections.

By the virtue of been a second term Lawmaker, Lado is due for Speakership and as someone from North Central where the position is been considered to be zoned to, he stands chances of realizing his ambition except that the religious sentiment of a Christian Speaker does not favour him.

Muhammed Kazaure Gudaji is a member of the House of Representatives representing the Kazaure/Roni/Gwiwa Constituency of Jigawa State. He was first elected in 2015 re-elected 2019. Even as first timer in 2015, Kazaure aspired to be the Speaker and he is in the race again in 2019. Unlike 2015, he is now a ranking Member who could be elected Speaker but his coming from Northwest with Buhari is not to his advantage.

Nkeiruka Onyejeocha represents the Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State – Southeast. She was first elected member of the Federal House of Representatives in 2007 and later re-elected in 2015 as well as 2019.  At the National Assembly, Onyejeocha became Chairman of women in parliament and is currently the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation. Onyejeocha who dumped PDP for APC 2018 is eyeing the office of

the Speaker. As a ranking member who has build bridges across party, gender

and regional divides, she is in a good position to emerge the next Speaker also that she is the only contender from the Southeast. Be that as it may, Onyejeocha is constrained by her new Membership in the APC and indications that Uzor Orji Kalu from Abia is been considered for the position of Deputy Senate President.

Khadijah Bukar-Abba was a three time member of the House of Representatives, representing Damaturu, Gujba, Gulani and Tarmuwa Federal Constituency of Yobe State from 2007 to 2015 when she appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. While in the House of Representative, she served in different capacities. From 2007 to 2008, she was the Deputy Chairman,House Committee on Rural Development; between 2008 and 2010, she was the Deputy Chairman,House Committee on Communications; from 2010 to 2011, she served as the Chairman,House Committee on Rural Privatisation and Commercialisation.She was also a member of House Committees on Power,Water Resources, interior, Women affairs, Appropriation.

Following her recent election in the last general elections, Khadijah is invthe race for the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Her legislativevand political trajectory placed her on the good pedestal of the Housevleadership but coming from the same State and zone with Lawan,  endorsedvfor Senate President by APC is not heathy to her ambition.