Rep Speakership Tussle: North East Caucus Endorses Gbajabiamila

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Sunday, May 17th, 2015

The North -East Caucus in the House of Representatives at the weekend pledged their supports for theMinority Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila (APC Lagos) as the Speaker of the 8th House.

The caucus also endorsed Hon. Mohammed Tahir Monguno from Borno State as their choice of candidate for the position of Deputy Speaker of the House.

36 out of the 48 members from the North-East Caucus after meeting in Abuja resolved to support Gbajabiamila as the Speaker with a proviso: if the party zones the Speakership slot to the South- West.

However, they said they will support Monguno for the Speakership position if it is zoned to the North East and that they will abide by the position of the party in whatever its choice is in the zoning of the Speakership position.

Briefing reporters after the meeting Hon. Goni Bukar Lawan ( Yobe), who spoke on behalf of the North- East Caucus said their decision was based on the political reality in the country.

He said that in advanced democracies, when the minority takes over government, the Minority Leader becomes the Majority Leader of the party.

His words: “We cannot look for any leader, because even before we took over the government he was our leader, and today we’re in the position. That’s why we decided to take our leader, Femi Gbajabiamila to be our Speaker, and for Hon. Mungonu to be our Deputy Speaker by the grace of God.”

“We have a project before Yobe State. Senator Ahmed Lawan is pursuing the position of Senate President of this country, in that respect we cannot have one state produce two candidates, one looking for the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives and another Senate President.

“For us that’s not in order. That’s why after the consultations and discussions, we arrived at supporting Femi Gbajabiamila when the party zones the Speakership to the South- West.”