The race for who occupies the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th Assemnbly has commenced, with members-elect along with their various interest groups leaving no stone unturned to outsmart each other irrespective of the controversial zoning arrangement by the national leadership of the ruling APC. In this report, BODE GBADEBO examines the clamour by the North-Central zone.
There is no gainsaying the fact that since the return of Nigeria to democracy in 1999, the North-central zone has never produced a presiding officer in the House of Representatives.
The zoning arrangement initiated by the then PDP-led Federal Government was aimed at achieving the principle of federal character in the distribution of appointments and elective offices as enshrined in the 1999 constitution (as amended) in order to engender fairness, balance and ultimately a sense of belonging among various interests in the country.
The zoning arrangement as regards top political offices in the land was adhered to from 1999 uptill 2011 when former President Goodluck Jonathan contested for the presidency against the PDP’s decision of zoning the office of the president to the North after thge exit of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2007.
The most dramatic breach of the zoning formula was in 2011 during the election of presiding officers for the 7th National Assembly. While Senators at that time obeyed the then ruling PDP’s choice of presiding officers, aggrieved PDP members in House teamed up with then opposition ACN to elect presiding officers, who were not the choice of the party.
Senator David Mark emerged the Senate President as directed by the PDP while Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwa emerged Speaker of the House against the preferred candidate of the party, Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola in 2011.
Four years later, the same scenario of 2011 repeated itself in 2015 when APC took over as the ruling party but couldn’t learn any lesson from PDP’s mistake on the choice of presiding officers for the National Assembly.
Incumbent Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Speaker Yakubu Dogara emerged victorious against the preferred choices of the APC – Senator Ahmad Lawan and Hon. Gbajabiamila respectively – in 2015.
Fast forwarded to 2019, the story is the same and it is becoming a survival of the strongest without recourse for fainess ans equity among the componet zones of the nation.
The North-central gave the third highest number votes to the APC in the 2019 presidential election and won convincingly in the majority states of the zone.
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Not a few pundits have therefore opined and clamour for the conisderation of the North-central for the speakership slot since the ruling party had zoned Senate President’s office to the North-east zone and in the spirit of fainess, equity and justice.
Arguments in favour of the North-central option include the fact that the South-west already has the vice president and many other appointments in government and so should not be further given the speakership slot as doing so will amount to gross injustice against other zones.
Other advocates for the North-central zone are of the view that the zone plays the balancing act in the nation’s politics and should not be denied the speakership slot for the fact it as never produced a presiding officer in the Green Chamber.
For its part, the North-Central Caucus of the House has also formally added its voice to the debate and clamour even as it called on the APC to do justice to all concerned.
“We want to use this medium to acknowledge the supremacy of our party, the APC, in addressing the issue of zoning of positions in an equitable, just and fair manner that will foster unity and cordial relations among members of our party and our colleagues from the other political divides.
“We are confident of the ability and capacity of the national leadership of the APC to do right to all in order to advance national cohesion, balance of power and federal character.
“It is in this regard that we humbly wish to appeal to our great party, the APC, to strongly consider the North Central geo-political zone for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th assembly,” said Rt. Hon. John Dyegh (Benue) at a press conference addressed by the caucus.
They added that, “We are mindful of the fact that events that surrounded the emergence of leaders of previous assemblies can provide amble guide for our great party to avoid past pitfalls and engender harmony, peace and stability in the House of Representatives as partners in progress with the executive.”
Meanwhile, one of the front runners in the race for the office of the speaker from the North-Central zone is Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase from Plateau state. Political observers say he is poised to carry the day if the arguments in favour of the zone to produce the speaker sail through.
Hon. Wase was elected into the House of the in 2007 and he is currently serving his third term as a member representing Wase Federal Constituency o Plateau state. His victory at the 2019 poll on will translate to his 4th term as a federal legislator.
All things being equal, Wase will have other formidable contestants to contend with in this speakership race. They include Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago (North-Central); Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas (North-East); current House Leader and APC’s annointed candidate, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, among others.
However, with the ongoing horse trading, negotiations, and alliance formations, only time will tell where the pendulum will swing to come June when the 9th Assembly will be inaugurated.
