NewsOnline reports that Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s President-elect whose victory is being vehemently challenged by major opposition candidates, especially Mr Peter Obi and his Labour Party, has confirmed his choice for Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives.
Despite opposition from many quarters, Tinubu has also insisted on having Chief Godswill Akpabio, the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, and Jubrin Barau from Northwest as President and Deputy President of the 10th Senate when it is finally inaugurated.
The new information available to PBA confirms that the APC is resolute in having its President-elect determine the personalities and regions to lead the new set of lawmakers in the 10th National Assembly.
Contrary to the constitutional provisions and democratic norms which presuppose that the Legislature, through the Clerk of the National Assembly, will organise independent and internal election to pick its leaders, Chairman of APC, Abdullahi Adamu, on Thursday hinted that the ruling party would defer to Tinubu to make his choices. The party expects the House to collectively honour that decision in their own elective choices.
Associates of the President-elect and other informed sources within the APC in Abuja early morning of Friday told Prime Business Africa Correspondent that Tinubu would be meeting with the National Working Committee (NWC) at 11 am to officially disclose his choice of Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The sources confirmed that Tinubu has selected Abbas Tajudeen, a ranking lawmaker from Kaduna State and current House Committee Chairman for Land Transport, to be the next speaker.
“The region and person to occupy the position of Deputy speaker will also be projected in the meeting of today, Friday May 5, 2023,” an impeccable source with the inner caucus of the APC disclosed.
Believed to be the choice of Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai whose support for emergence of Tinubu as APC candidate and eventual announcement as winner of the Presidency was public, Tajudeen has been campaigning for the position of Speaker ever since he won his re-election bid. He has made many overt and covert appearances in the media to amplify his voice in pursuit of the position.
Nigerian politicians have since second term of former President Olusegun Obasanjo (then of the People’s Democratic Party) made ascension to the leadership of the National Assembly a matter of public campaign and horse trading. This horsetrading reached its crescendo when former Speaker Aminu Tambuwal (now Governor of Sokoto State) torpedoed the verdict of his party (the PDP) in support of Southwest’s Akande and lobbied opposition members to emerge Speaker of the House of Representatives.
That ‘feat’ was repeated by APC’s Bukola Saraki who emerged President of the Senate in 2015 against the run of play within the party. APC had just exchanged positions with the President Goodluck Jonathan-led PDP as ruling party shortly after the former Kwara State Governor (Saraki), alongside other PDP governors and former Vice President Atiku, jumped ship to strengthen the opposition APC in winning the Presidency and majority seats in the Red Chamber.
With Tinubu as President and the continuing efforts by ruling parties to have the Executive arm of government determine who leads the National Assembly, it remains yet uncertain if the 10th National Assembly will register similar historic upsets.
Impeccable sources also confirmed to NewsOnline Nigeria that, based on Tinubu’s choice, Godswill Akpabio will lead the Senate, “despite the raging opposition against that choice.
“Those who do not want Akabio simply want to embarrass him,” a national leader of the party who is close to Tinubu and Akpabio, said with some sense of finality.
“ We are meeting with Tinubu today (Friday) at 11 am here in Abuja, and that seals it,” the source said.
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