In the absence of a zoning formula for the 10th National Assembly leadership positions by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has met with 10 aspirants to the office of Speaker of the House.
Recall that LEADERSHIP exclusively reported few weeks ago that Gbajabiamila is angling to become President-elect Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, hence he may not return to the 10th National Assembly despite his reelection victory at the February 25 elections for a record 6th time.
The meeting, which took place in Abuja on Thursday, was attended by the 10 Speakership aspirants.
The aspirants included Gbajabiamila’s deputy, Rep. Ahmed Idris Wase (North-Central); Rep. Makki Abubakar Yalleman (North-West); Rep. Adamu Yusuf Gagdi (North-Central), and Rep. Benjamin Kalu (South-East).
Others were Rep. Peter Akpatason (South-South); Rep. Muktar Aliyu Betara (North-East); Rep. Sada Soli Jibia (North-West); Rep. Tunji Olawuyi (South-West); Rep. Abbas Tajuddeen (North-West), and Rep. Aminu Sani Jaji (North-West).
Our Correspondent’s efforts to know the outcome of the meeting, which held behind closed-door proved abortive, as all attendees including Gbajabiamila’s media aides maintained sealed lips.
LEADERSHIP, however, gathered that the meeting, which was at the instance of Gbajabiamila, was aimed at achieving a middle ground and in order for the APC to present one formidable candidate for the Speakership election on the day of inauguration of the 10th National Assembly on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.
This is against the backdrop that opposition parties have threatened to present their own candidate for the Speakership position in the event the ruling party failed to present a popular candidate.
A Member-elect from the opposition New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) from Kano State, Abdulmumin Jibrin, disclosed opposition’s plan recently during a TV interview.
