Politics of Endorsement and Number for 10th House Speakership Seat

Udora Orizu writes that as rejection trails APC’s zoning of N’Assembly leadership positions, the speakership contest is now hallmarked by game of number and endorsement

With less than three weeks to the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, there seems to be no end in sight to the crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the zoning of leadership positions of the parliament.

Some aspirants to the office of Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, several members-elect, and some key stakeholders have been simmering with resentment since the party announced its nominations for presiding officers positions.

The argument of zoning at its best gives a cause of inclusion, fair play, inclusiveness and belief in a better organized Nigeria. During the Second Republic, there was an informal albeit determined effort to zone high elective positions like President, Vice -President, Senate President, Deputy Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Speaker to the various geo-political zones in order to reflect the federal character and inclusive politics.

The Fourth Republic zoning format stems from a unique historical antecedent. Its origin can be traced to June 12, 1993, when the election which the late business mogul, Chief Moshood Abiola, is largely believed to have won was annulled.

This annulment led to a major political upheaval and at the same time gave rise to a deep sense of injustice on the part of the South West geo-political zone from where the winner emerged. To sate the ensuing sense of unease, the two major political parties that appeared to lead the transition from the military to civilian rule in 1999, reached an agreement that gave room for the presidential candidates from the two major parties to emerge from the South-West geo-political zone. Consequently, zoning in its current incarnation was birthed.

The country’s 2023 transition process will be concluded with the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly and the election of the presiding officers of the two chambers, two weeks after the swearing-in of the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on May 29.

While some aspirants, members-elect and stakeholders are advocating for zoning according to contributions of each zone to the last elections, others have suggested the adoption of the arrangement that held sway between 1999 and 2007.

Since 1999, the National Assembly has had eight Senate Presidents. The first five of them were from the South-east region, the next two from the North-central region and the outgoing one from the North-east.

Those who held the seat include Evan Enwerem from Imo State, who served between June and November 1999; Chuba Okadigbo from Anambra State who served from 1999 to 2000, Pius Ayim from Ebonyi State who served between 2000 and 2003, Adolphus Wabara from Abia State who served between 2003 and 2005 and Ken Nnamani from Enugu State who served from 2005 to 2007.

Between 2007 and 2019, David Mark from Benue State presided from 2007 to 2015, and Bukola Saraki from Kwara State served from 2015 to 2019. The incumbent Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, who was elected in 2019, is from Yobe State.

At the green chamber, from 1999 to 2007, the position of Speaker was zoned to the North West with Salisu Buhari, Ghali Umar Na’Abba and Aminu Bello Masari taking their turns. From 2007 to 2011, the South West had it with Patricia Etteh and Dimeji Bankole presiding, while the position went back to the North West between 2011 and 2015, with Aminu Waziri Tambuwal presiding. In 2015, the North East manned the affairs of the House again with Yakubu Dogara as Speaker. By 2019, it returned to the South West again with the current speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila.

For the leadership of 10th House of Representatives no fewer than eight aspirants are eyeing the speakership seat.

The contestants are from four of the nation’s six geo-political zones: the North-west, South-east, North-central and North-east.

As they were making their ambition known, lobbying and consulting with various stakeholders, the APC National Working Committee (NWC) on May 8 released their list of consensus candidates for the four parliamentary slots.

The APC had in the zoning plans, endorsed Senator Godswill Akpabio from the South-South geo-political zone as the President of the 10th Senate while Senator Barau Jibrin from the North-West was picked as his Deputy.

Also in the House of Representatives, the APC endorsed Tajudeen Abass from the North-West as Speaker and Benjamin Kalu from the South-East as Deputy Speaker.

The development forced the aggrieved speakership aspirants to visit the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, rejecting the zoning arrangement.

The aggrieved House Speakership aspirants had while speaking at various fora claimed they are all qualified and have something to contribute to nation building through the legislature.

Some of the aggrieved aspirants were also present to show solidarity with Betara at his official declaration.

Betara, had while speaking on the development expressed shock over the choice of the APC candidate for House Speaker.

Betara, who is Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, accused the incumbent Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, of sponsoring Abbas who he described as unpopular in the House.

According to him, Gbajabiamila despite being a friend nominated Abass outside of ranking lawmakers like himself, Wase, Doguwa, Gagdi and other leading aspirants.

Also, Wase during a visit to national Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu said he had told Gbajabiamila that he misled the president-elect on the choice of the Speaker and that Tinubu was not behind the choice of Abass.

Wase also accused the party leadership of betraying other contestants, having initially asked them to slow down their campaigns and give room for consultations.

On his part, Gagdi kicked against the zoning arrangement, lamenting that the zoning formula proposed by the APC short-changed his North Central geo-political zone which he said is the only zone with no representation.

Reacting to his colleagues assertions, Speaker Gbajabiamila said his decision to support the candidacy of Abbas for the speaker of the incoming 10th House of Representatives was to build on legislative gains so far recorded by his administration.

Gbajabiamila who spoke during a meeting of the aspirants with some opposition members at the instance of Joint Task-10th Assembly, group of members-elect from across the eight political parties that won seats in the incoming House said Abbas was a man with tremendous capacity to lead the parliament.

The Speaker said he was also a loyal party who would never go against the decision of the party, adding that his decision doesn’t translate to hatred for other aspirants.

He recalled giving one of the frontline aspirants the chairmanship of a juicy committee to head even when it was obvious to him that the person worked against his Speakership aspiration.

However, despite appeals by some APC Governors and party chieftains to the aggrieved aspirants to sheath their swords and respect party’s supremacy, it appears they are going ahead with their ambition, as they are set to unveil their own consensus candidate.

Last week, APC’s consensus speakership candidate, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, disclosed that not less than 107 members-elect from opposition parties have agreed to back him and Hon. Benjamin Kalu to emerge as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.

Abbas made the disclosure when he and Kalu visited the official residence of the Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, in Abuja.

Briefing the Governor, Abass said, “So we are here your Excellency, in spite of the fact that you have two candidates, to plead with you to support our cause, because our cause is a Nigerian cause. We are a unity project members here. We have membership across all the eight political parties. And I can tell with confidence sir that our last count, we have 107 minority party members onboard this project.”

It appears the revelation by Abass was true, as few days later the minority caucus known as ‘greater majority’ going by its collective number of 182 member-elect across minority parties said they met with Speaker Gbajabiamila and that during the talks, frank exchanges were shared as all sides agreed to embark on consensus building, in the interest of the institution of the legislature.

But surprisingly, probably after being reached out to by the aggrieved aspirants, the group backtracked on their earlier statement.

Another statement signed by the opposition parties group secretary, Ali Isa, on Saturday, said the caucus only met with Gbajabiamila and Abbas, who also engaged the group and made his own presentation to solicit the support of its members to work with him just like the other aspirants did.

Hours later, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, in a statement said the G7 and Greater Minority Groups reached agreement on consensus candidate for Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

According to him, the Greater Minority Group of the 10th Assembly comprising members-elect from opposition parties, met with members of the G7 group in order to take a common position on the leadership of the House of Representatives in the incoming assembly.

“Greater Minority is made up of 182 members-elect across minority parties including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Labour Party (LP); New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP); Africa Democratic Congress (ADC); Young People’s Party (YPP); All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

“On the other hand, the G7 are aspirants for the position of the Speaker who are members of  the All Progressives Congress (APC). They include the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Idris Wase; Chairman of the House Committee on Navy, Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi; Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara; Hon. Sada Soli; Hon. Mariam Onuoha and Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji. At the end of the meeting which held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on Saturday, May 20, 2023, the incoming lawmakers agreed on consensus candidates for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions.”