As the 10th National Assembly approaches its inauguration, there are strong indications that Honourable Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu are poised to emerge as the leading principal officers of the House of Representatives.
Abbas, hailing from Kaduna State in the north-west region, seeks to be elected as the next Speaker, while Kalu, representing Abia State in the southeast, is vying for the position of Deputy Speaker.
At the heart of the race for the next leadership of the National Assembly lies the consideration of competence, ranking, and zoning. These factors have been agreed upon by the lawmakers as criteria for electing principal officers, aiming to ensure a just balance in the country's political equation and a peaceful tenure for the current administration.
Considering the recent election of Bola Tinubu as Nigeria's President from the South-west, with Kashim Shettima as his running mate from the North-east, political stakeholders advocate for the distribution of presiding offices in the parliament among the remaining four geopolitical zones.
This rationale serves as the basis for Abbas and Kalu's candidacies, as they aim to represent the north-central and southeast regions, respectively.
Prior to President Tinubu's swearing-in, the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership reportedly endorsed Abbas and Kalu as the preferred candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively. However, this decision faced opposition from some ranking APC lawmakers who vowed to challenge the party's choice. Despite this opposition, the endorsements provide a significant advantage to Abbas and Kalu, given their alignment with President Tinubu's administration.
The current Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has been appointed as Tinubu's Chief of Staff (CoS) .This new role places Gbajabiamila in a position of influence, allowing him to lobby and advocate for his preferred candidates, Abbas and Kalu. With his support, Gbajabiamila can mobilize colleagues, even across party lines, to garner support for the duo's bid for leadership.
Reliable sources indicate that President Tinubu's team is actively working to rally support for Abbas and Kalu, recognizing their suitability for leading the House in line with the administration's "Renew Hope Agenda." Their track records and commitment to addressing national challenges, such as insecurity, have garnered the president's trust and support.
Furthermore, the emergence of opposition lawmakers publicly endorsing the ruling party's candidates for leadership positions in the National Assembly is unprecedented and bolsters the chances of Abbas and Kalu.
The Minority Parties Forum, led by a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Ebonyi State, is another factor favoring Abbas and Kalu. This group, along with many lawmakers from the opposition side, openly supports the duo's bid for leadership. Notably, several candidates in the House contest have even withdrawn from the race to throw their support behind Abbas and Kalu, underscoring the likelihood of a smooth election on June 13th.
In contrast to former President Muhammadu Buhari's limited interest in the composition of the 9th National Assembly leadership, President Tinubu, being a seasoned politician and parliamentarian himself, has embraced Abbas and Kalu's ambition as his personal project. Tinubu's active involvement behind the scenes indicates that he is invested in the success of Abbas and Kalu's leadership, further strengthening their position within the party.
On Thurday they met with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting ,Abbas, said they discussed issues facing the country with President Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy.
The candidate denied that the 9th House of Representatives was a rubber stamp, denying that his selection is meant to keep the House compromised.
He argued that the 9th Assembly has been the best in the history of Nigerian's democracy in terms of cordial relationship with the Executive and what was achieved.
The Speakership candidate, who was backed by his co-sojourner in the bid to lead the 10th House of Representatives, Ben Kalu, assured that nobody can manipulate the 360 members of the House of Representatives.
"First of all, I would want them to go back to history. Let them tell us even in the few instances where the people who were ordinarily not endorsed by the governments of those days have done better than the leadership of the 9th Assembly, which we all believe was about the first time in 12 years that the thinking of the members of the National Assembly coincided with the thinking of the Executive.
"The 9th Assembly is by far, and I say it with all sense of humility, the best National Assembly that the Legislature and the Executive had a very mutually beneficial relationship.
So many things were accomplished, so many things that ordinarily we would not have thought or contemplated would be achieved were achieved. So whoever is talking about rubber stamp National Assembly does not know the workings of the National Assembly.
"Nobody, Speaker or Senate President, Deputy Speaker or Deputy Senate President, nobody can manipulate the 360 members of the House of Reps to make them do what is not in the best interest of the public and we have shown from our conduct in the 9th Assembly that for the very first time, even with the cordial relationship between the Executive and the Legislature, we had cause, for the very first time, to summon Mr. President, to come to the National Assembly to address some issues of security as at that time.
"So if you're talking about rubber stamp, I wonder if anyone can summon Mr. President to come and explain issues that ordinarily he would have invited us to continue our office or assign somebody to come and answer our questions.
"So there has never been any compromise in the National Assembly. The autonomy of the National Assembly has always been maintained, and it will continue to be maintained. There will be no any way that the independence of our National Assembly under our leadership will be compromised. Actually this you can take to the market", he said.
Responding to a question about dissension within the ranks of members of the House that are from the ruling party, over their candidature and the support of the party, Abbas said everything was being done to carry aggrieved members along, assuring that come June 13, all members of the House would speak as one.
"I want to assure you that for those who know me, either in the National Assembly or outside the National Assembly, they will tell you one thing very peculiar to me is that I'm a peacemaker. I'm somebody who relates with everyone, I'm a team player.
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"We are reaching out to all the aggrieved candidates, we're doing everything humanly possible in ensuring that we carry them along and I want to assure you that come June 13, the House will speak as one
"They are very resolute and determined in ensuring that no one single aggrieved voice will come to bear after June 13. We'll carry everyone along and the House of Representatives will continue to operate as one, with one single voice. That you can take to the market", he said.
The election of Honourables Abbas and Kalu as the leaders of the House of Representatives holds the potential to enhance democratic principles, particularly the separation of powers.
This approach aligns with President Tinubu's vision of nation-building as a joint task that requires the input of both branches of government.
Furthermore, their election would address the issue of inequality within the country. By distributing key leadership positions among the geopolitical zones, the political equation would be balanced, ensuring that no region dominates the decision-making process. This inclusive approach aims to foster a sense of unity and equal representation among Nigerians.
The odds are in favor of Honourables Abbas and Kalu emerging as the 10th National Assembly's Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively. Their competence, ranking, and alignment with the zoning strategy, coupled with party endorsements and the backing of President Tinubu, have positioned them as strong candidates. Additionally, the support they have garnered from both the ruling party and opposition lawmakers reflects a unique and unprecedented alliance, further bolstering their chances of success.
