9th Assembly Speakership Race: APC settles for Gbajabiamila

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday adopted the House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, as its sole candidate for the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th Assembly.

This position was reached at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, after an intensive deliberation with the party’s House of Representatives members-elect at a dinner with President Muhammadu Buhari.

The dinner also had in attendance the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and some other chieftains of the party.

Speaking at the event, Oshiomhole  disclosed that the APC was determined to ensure that it does not repeat what he described as mistakes made in the 8th Assembly, under a hostile leadership.

He asked that ninth Assembly not to entrust the leadership of critical committees to the opposition and suggested instead that new members-elect can be chairmen of such committees.

Adopting “a winner takes all position”, the party chairman urged the APC lawmakers not to share what belongs to the party with anyone, especially the opposition.

Corroborating Oshiomhole, the  National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Lanre Issa-Onilu, also confirmed the party’s position to reporters at the end of the event.

He hinted  that the position of the deputy speaker has been zoned to the north-central region of the country.

Also remarking at the event, the Director-General of Gbajabiamila Campaign Organisation, Abdulmumuni Jibrin, said there was an official presentation of the candidate for the position of the speaker to the President.

But, he did not say if President Muhammadu Buhari endorsed him or not.

“The President expects that the party will effectively take charge of the situation and do what is right for the country, the APC, and the National Assembly”, Jibrin submitted.