Battle For Tambuwal’s Successor Gathers Storm As Kano Reps Disown Jubrin’s Ambition

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Thursday, April 16th, 2015

Ayodele Afolabi, Abuja – Even when the new session of the National Assembly is almost 50 days away, the struggle for the speakership position has heightened as the South West Reps Caucus demanded for the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

This is just as the Kano state All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives caucus rejected the candidature of Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin.

Jibrin who represents Bebeji/Kiru Federal constituency of Kano state had last week declared his intention to vie for the speakership of the House.

Rising from a crucial meeting convened by a ranking lawmaker Mohammed Ali Wudil which lasted between 8pm and 12 midnight Wednesday, the lawmakers kicked against the candidature of Hon Jubril.

It was reliably learnt that the caucus meeting did not discuss Jibrin’s ambition even though members were aware that he declared his intention some hours earlier.

Twenty four members were in attendance and those who couldn’t make it send their apologies including Jibrin.

According to the source, “Jibrin never consulted with any of us about his bid for speakership or deputy speakership. He is on his own and he should stop because it will soon backfire.

“Even if he is negotiating for a position that is not the way to do it. We consider his declaration as insensitive, irresponsible and provocative because we have the president from the north west”.

“It means that nobody either in the senate or the House can contest for a presiding position as doing that will send the wrong signal to other parts of the country”, the caucus was quoted to have said.

The northwest is not Nigeria, and General Buhari will never have won the election without the support of other regions of the country.

Meanwhile, a member of the House of Representatives from Oyo State Hon Sunday Adepoju yesterday called on the All Progress Congress to zone the speakership position to the southern part of the country.

Hon Adepoju who joined others member contesting for speakership position said that for equitable distribution of position, all the zones should be considered.

Hon Sunday Adepoju representing Iddo Ibarapa federal constituency of Oyo state explained that should the senate president position is zoned to the north, and then the speaker should be zoned to the south.

He said that the zoning arrangement in the coming 8th assembly. would only reflect the principle of federal character required by the 1999 constitution (as amended).

He however appealed to APC that in the spirit of fairness and adherence of federal character, the position of Speaker, House of Representatives should be zoned to the South South geo-political zone.

Hon Adepoju stated that if the party zone the position to the South West, he would be interested to contesting for the speakership position.

According to him, “Ogun state has produced speaker, Osun State too had produced speaker and Lagos State produced the Vice President and minority leader of the House in the 7th assembly, therefore, there is nothing bad in given Oyo State the opportunity to. Produce speaker in the 8th assembly.