The number of ranking members of the House of Representatives who are eyeing the seat of the Speaker in the 10th National Assembly is now nine.
This is in spite of the fact that the incumbent Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, was also re-elected for a sixth term and will be in the House.
The current National Assembly was inaugurated in June 2019 and the 10th is expected to be inaugurated the same this year.
The latest declaration of interest in the speakership is scheduled for Tuesday by Abdulraheem Olawuyi, who represents the Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency in Kwara State.
Olawuyi, according to a statement on Saturday, is expected to officially declare his ambition for the seat on Tuesday in Abuja
Olawuyi, who is Chairman of the House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, said he had consulted widely on his intention to contest the position and was delighted at the feedback.
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In the statement titled, ‘Rep AbdulRaheem joins race for Speaker, to officially declare April 4’, said he believed that he possessed the needed experience to make the office of the Speaker better if elected by his colleagues.
He said old and new members of the House would be in attendance at the official declaration.
“I assure you that if elected, I will strive to promote policies that will benefit all Nigerians from various backgrounds and will work with all parties to unite the country. I am genuinely looking forward to meeting fellow lawmakers, sharing my vision with them, and listening to their ideas on how to improve the lot of the people if elected as the Speaker,” Olawuyi stated.
The lawmaker representing Mallammadori/Kaugama Federal Constituency in Jigawa State and Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Abubakar Yalleman, declared his speakership ambition to journalists last week.
The Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase; the embattled Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; the Chairman of the House Committee on Navy, Yusuf Gagdi; Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Aliyu Betara; Chairman, House Committee on Science Research Institutes, Olaide Akinremi; Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu; and Chairman, House Committee on Land Transport, Tajudeen Abbas, are also said to be eyeing the seat.
Wase is from Plateau in the North-Central geopolitical zone; Ado-Doguwa hails from Kano, North-West; Gagdi represents Plateau, North-Central; Betara is from Borno, North-East; Akinremi represents Oyo, South-West; Kalu, Abia, South-East; Yalleman, Jigawa, North-West; and Abbas, Kaduna, North-West.
Lawmakers are, however, divided over which geopolitical zones should produce the next set of leaders of the federal parliament.
Already, Wase has begun a nationwide visitation to key stakeholders in the All Progressive Congress as part of efforts to rally support for his ambition.
PUNCH
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