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By Okite Agbodo
Barely 68days ahead, a new speaker must emerge to pilot the affairs of the nineth House of Representatives as six contenders prepare for the coveted position.
The issue at stake is who wears the crown as the six lawmakers eyeing Hon Yakubu Dogara’s job are no pushovers.
The ranking lawmakers include: The current leader of the House Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, Hon Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Hon Abdulrazaq Namdas, Babangida Aliyu, Idris Wase and Mohammed Umar Bago.
None of these men are pushovers as they are well grounded in legislative business.
In 2015, against all odds, Dogara emerged the speaker which rubbished the zoning arrangement of the All Progressives Congress, APC that wanted a candidate from the South West to run the affairs of the Green Chamber.
The question on the lips of Nigerians is will the APC suffer the same fate in 2019?
Both Chambers produced candidates that were not annointed by the APC.
Dr Bukola Saraki clinched that of Senate while Dogara on the 9th of June 2015 grabbed both positions.
Both men eventually defected to the Peoples Democrat Party, PDP.
This is a clear signal that the APC leadership may not rest on its oars until both Houses are properly put in order or a similar fate may befall the APC in this new dispensation.
The APC had zoned it to the South West hoping that its annointed candidate Gbajabiamila will clinch it but he lost it narrowly with just eight votes to Dogara.
Dogara applied all legislative tactics and remained in office till date piloting the legislative affairs of the most vibrant Green Chamber in Africa.
The APC leadership may want to properly manage its electoral victory better this time around but must look for a credible and widely accepted candidate from any zone it decides to give the number four citizen’s position.
So far, the six emerged candidates are just waiting for the APC leadership to blow its whistle by announcing which zone should produce the next speaker.
The likely six legislative gladiators in the race:
Femi Gbajabiamila, a lawyer and fifth timer and a leading candidate of APC represents Surulere Federal Constituency of Lagos State.
Gbaja as he is fondly called by close associates has the ears and eyes of the APC national leader, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu a political bulldozer whi has all it takes to change the stakes to favour his long time loyalist.
Gbajabiamila has the legislative experience to pilot the House but needs to break away from the shadow of the past to survive.
He equally needs the PDP votes if he must conquer in this his second attempt.
Hon Mohammed Tahir Monguno, a lawyer is from the Northeast and a fourth timer with a vast legislative experience.
He is from Borno State, is another top contender for the speaker’s seat. Monguno is a fourth term member under this Fourth Republic as he has been in the House since 2007, representing Marte/Monguno/Nganzai Federal Constituency. However, he was previously elected to the House of Representatives in 1992 and served briefly before the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election that saw members of the National Assembly elected that time end their tenure abruptly. Between 2007 and 2011, Monguno served as chairman of different committees in the House, including agriculture, which he headed during the 7th Assembly. He is currently the chairman of the House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services. Currently the chairman of the Northeast Caucus in the House, Monguno is unrivalled in terms of commitment to legislative activities as he is always at plenary during sittinngs, a development that once earned him accolades from both Speaker Yakubu Dogara and Deputy Speaker Yussuf Suleiman Lasun.
During the House leadership tussle in 2015, Monguno, a former Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in Borno State, almost became Deputy Speaker as he ran together with Femi Gbajabiamila for the position. He was defeated by Lasun due to the fact that Dogara, who is also from the Northeast, had already emerged as speaker. Therefore, there was no way both the speaker and the deputy speaker could come from the same region.
But this time around, it was learnt that Monguno is battle-ready to go for the speaker’s seat once more, but he is said to be waiting patiently for the decision of the APC on zoning of the leadership positions in the National Assembly.
Hon Abdulrazaq Namdas is from Adamawa and the current Chairman House Committee on Media and Publicity.
A front line journalist turned politician is a second timer a vibrant lawmaker and a good contributor to debates on the floor of the House.
A one time Chief Press Secretary to former governor of Adamawa, Boni Haruna.
Hon Ahmed Idris Wase is the current Deputy majority leader of the House.
He represents Wase Federal Constituency of Plateau state.
Hon Umar Bago Mohammed, represents Chachanga Federal Constituency of Niger state.
He is the current Chairman House Committee on Maritime.
Hon Babangida Ibrahim is from Katsina and he is a third timer and the Chairman Reps Committee on Finance in the fast eclipsing 9th House.
68 days from now the eventual winner must emerge to pilot the 9th Green Chamber in Nigeria.
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