Live Updates: 9th National Assembly Inauguration
7.00 PM
House of Representatives members-elect are currently being sworn in
6.35 PM
Hon. Gbajabiamila takes Oath of Office and Oath of Allegiance as Speaker of the House
6.19 PM
Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) has been elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Gbajabiamila, backed by the ruling APC, defeated his challenger Umar Bago (APC, Niger).
Gbajabiamila scored 281 votes while Bago polled 76 votes. 358 Members-elect voted, while one vote was voided.
5.52 PM
Voting ends. Counting of ballot papers begin
4.37 PM
Members are openly displaying their thumbprinted ballot papers to Gbajabiamila and Jibrin.
3.55 PM
Uproar in the House as some members took photographs of their ballot papers
3.42 PM
Voting commences in the House of Representatives for election of Speaker
3.31 PM
Bago accepts nomination. He said: “This is aspirations is not about me but of a people who have brought to the people what we have today as a government. It is based on a constitutional provision. It is about justice, equity and fairness.”
3.28 PM
Hon. Yunusa Abubakar Ahmed representing Yamaltu/Deba, Gombe State nominates Hon. Umar Bago.
Hon. Mark Gbillah representing Gwer East/Gwer West, Benue State seconded the nomination.
He said Bago’s choice will ensure the sanctity of the legislature.
3.18PM
Gbajabiamila accepts his nomination, gets standing ovation
3.16 PM
Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency, Kano State, nominates Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila for speaker.
He described him as bridge builder, courageous man who will ensure the independence of the legislature.
Linda Ikpeazu of the PDP seconded Gbajabiamila’s nomination, saying he is a nation builder
2.42 PM
Clerk of the House of Representatives, Mr. Patrick Giwa, commences roll call of House members
2.39 PM
Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, has commenced proceedings to elect the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives
2.20 PM
The immediate past House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, arrives House Chamber
2.05 PM
Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan, directs the Clerk of the Senate, Nelson Ayewoh, to commence the swearing-in of Senators-elect in batches.
2.01 PM
Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, took leave of the Senate chambers and headed for House of Representatives to inaugurate its leadership.
2.00 PM
APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiohmhole, arrives House or Representatives chamber to a rousing welcome from his party loyalists
1.56 PM
Omo-Agege takes oath of allegiance and oath of office as Deputy Senate President.
1.52 PM
Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Isa-Omolori announced the result for DSP with Omo-Agege getting 68 votes while Ekweremadu scored 37 votes and one voided vote. Omo-Agege is the new Deputy Senate President.
12.37 PM
Voting is in progress for Deputy Senate President
12.35 PM
Clerk of the National Assembly declared the nomination for DSP closed.
12.33 PM
Senator Ekweremadu accepted his nomination and stressed his belief in the unity of Nigeria.
12.30 PM
Senator-elect Chukwuka Utasi (Enugu North) nominated immediate past Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu ( Enugu West) and seconded by Senator Rose Okoh( Cross River West).
12.26 PM
Senator-elect Baba Kaita (Katsina North) nominated Senator-elect Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta Central) while Senator-elect Aliu Sabi (Niger North) seconded the motion. Ovie Omo-Agege accepted his nomination.
12.24 PM
Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori called for nomination for office of Deputy Senate President.
12.17PM
Senator Lawan took oath of allegiance and oath of President of the Senate.
12.15 PM
Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Isa-Omolori, announced the result of the Senate Presidency election with Senator-elect Ahmad Lawan scoring 79 votes while Senator-elect got 28 votes. Total votes cast is 107. He therefore announced the election of Senator Lawan as the 9th Senate President.
11.56 AM
Voting for Senate President ended and agents (tellers) of the two candidates have been called out to sort out the ballot papers.
11.50 AM
-Standing ovation by some Senators-elect for Senator Ahmad Lawan as he collected the ballot paper to vote
11.25 AM
House in frenzy as Hon. Bago, endorsed by the PDP for Speaker, arrives, sits among PDP members. He sat directly behind the PDP Minority Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor
10.59 AM
Voting in progress in the Senate Chamber
10.48 AM
Senator -Ishiaku Abu (Adamawa North) nominates Senator Ali Ndume ( Borno South) and seconded by Senator-elect Ndidi Bannayi(Rivers East).
Ndume in accepting his nomination addressed his colleagues and stressed his 9-point Agenda saying he will not compromise the independence of the legislative arm.
10.37 AM
Senator-elect Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North) nominates Senator-elect Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North) with Senator-elect Adeola Olamilekan (Lagos West) seconding the nomination.
-Lawan addressed the Senate after his nomination stressing the need for the Senators-elect to be united.
10.32 AM
Clerk of the Senate, Nelson Ayewoh, confirms the presence of 107 Senators-elect after the roll call
10.25 AM
Senators-elect are protesting the mode of election of principal officers.
Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori has told the senator-elects that the 2015 standing order will be used for the election.
“I only answered your question out of respect. I won’t entertain any further question,” Sani-Omolori told protesting senators-elect.
10.14 AM
“I didn’t receive any court order”, Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohamed Sani-Omolori told Senators -elect and asks Clerk of the Senate, Nelson Oyewoh to go ahead with the roll call of Senators-elect present.
Oyewoh now reading the names of Senators-elect in alphabetical order state by state.
10.08 AM
Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, reads the proclamation letter from President Muhammadu Buhari.
-Uproar in the chambers as Sani-Omolori announced that 2015 Standing Order (Secret Ballot) of the Senate will be used for election of presiding officers
10.06 AM
The only female speakership candidate, who reportedly stepped down for Gbajabiamila, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha arrives
9.58 AM
Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, and Clerk of the Senate, Nelson Ayewoh, arrive the Senate Chambers for the inauguration of the 9th Senate to commence.
9.52 AM
APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, going round the Senate Chambers exchanging pleasantries with Senators-elect across party lines
9.44 AM
Former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara; former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, and Ms. Ama Pepple in the Senate Chambers
9.38 AM
Chairman of Governors Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, led 18 other APC Governors to the Senate Chambers
9.35 Am
APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, former governor of Ekiti state, Adeniyi Adebayo and his Edo state counterpart, Lucky Igbinedion now in Senate Chambers
9.33 AM
Gbajabiamila arrives to a thunderous ovation by his supporters
9:30 AM
Boma Goodhead, a lone voice in the House shouted Bago’s name contending with the thunderous chant of Gbaja.
9.25 AM
One of the APC speakership candidates, Hon. Olajide Olatunbosun arrives House of Representatives gallery
9.23 AM
Former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, former Senate Leader and a contender for Senate Presidency, Senator Ahmad Lawan , another contender for Senate President, Senator Ali Ndume and no fewer than 50 other Senators-elect have arrived the National Assembly complex.
Other early arrivals include former governor of Nasarawa state, Tanko Al-Makura; a candidate for Deputy Senate Presidency, Ovie Omo-Agege; Opeyemi Bamidele; Ifeanyi Uba, Teslim Folarin; Aminu Wammako.
The Senators-elect who arrived in the company of their spouses made straight for the Senate chambers where the inauguration is expected to commence by 10 am prompt.
9.03 AM
More than 170 House members are already in the chamber.
9.00 AM
Former Imo State governor, Mr. Rochas Okorocha arrives National Assembly.
