Speakership Race: Gbajabiamila Sets up Nationwide Mobilisation Committee

Muhammad Bello In a bid to up the ante of his quest for the Speaker of the incoming eighth session of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has set up a 36-man mobilisation committee to canvass support for him in the states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Gbajabiamila, who is also the current Minority Leader in the House, tasked the state coordinators with the job of soliciting the support of their other colleagues and assure them of his unwavering intention to fulfill the promises made to them in a collective bid to redefine representation in the coming eighth House of Representatives.

Notable among his campaigners are: Hon. Rufai Chanchangi (Kaduna), Hon. Abdullahi Balarabe Silame (Sokoto), Hon. Khadijah Ibrahim (Yobe), Hon. Baderinwa White (Ondo), Hon. Peter Akpatason (Edo), and many others across party lines.

Gbajabiamila, who is also a frontline aspirant for the speakership position, had earlier in a document attached to his letter of intent distributed to his colleagues last week, promised the 360 members-elect of his readiness to ensure transparency and accountability in all the legislative matters of the House and equitable distribution of committees and chairing opportunities.

He also pledged to ensure adequate input of members through provision of federal presence in all constituencies that would include but are not limited to capital projects, periodic public legislative sessions on national issues rotated between the six geopolitical zone and conscious rebranding of the House as a symbol of democracy.

While the APC is yet to make an official pronouncement on the zoning of National Assembly leadership positions, some lawmakers from the North-west have endorsed Gbajabiamila whom they said has earned a reputation that transcends the reported zoning of the Speakership seat to South-west, which is already in his favour.

“If not for God and Femi Gbajabiamila, the North-west through Hon Aminu Tambuwal could not have been Speaker. He personally led the battle from the front and stood with Tambuwal to the end. So it’s time for us to reward his loyalty and hard stance against anti-democratic antics of the outgoing federal government,” a lawmaker from Kaduna state who does not want his name in print said.

THISDAY gathered that last Wednesday, 194 members met at Protea Hotel, Asokoro, Abuja and unanimously declared their support for Gbajabiamila and asked him to be fair to both new and old members of the House.

Like Gbajabiamila, another major contender for the speakership seat, the Chairman of the Committee on House Services, Yakubu Dogara, last Thursday alongside with about 22 other members of the House addressed the press where he stated that his aspiration represents the interest of the poorly developed North-east and further gave indication that the zoning arrangement of the party may be inconsequential to his aspiration.

On the same Thursday evening another leading contestant from North-east where Dogara hailed from, Mohammed Tahir Monguno also made his official declaration in Abuja. On the other hand, Pally Iriase and Ajibola Famurewa are also said to be making underground moves.