I can say with certainty that the just-concluded 2023 general elections have made Nigerians to become more exposed or well informed on some national issues, because Nigeria’s teeming youths are desperately and eagerly waiting to see who will be the speaker of the 10th House of Representatives.
In the recent past, many Nigerians didn’t care to monitor, track or know who will become their speaker. Perhaps, this is because knowing such would not add any value to them. But surprisingly now almost all eyes are on the speakership seat. This may be due to our commitment and active participation in governance and also to prepare well before our time comes since in our midst there are aspiring politicians.
It’s amazing to see how our teeming youths are paying attention to a situation like this, because this is a national issue and it definitely affects them in one way or the other. This might stop or frighten our national law makers from selecting their speaker randomly and perhaps from there it will come down to the individual aspiring for national legislative seat.
They know that people are watching them keenly and interestingly and if they dare to elect incompetent leaders their constituent members would not allow them to go as they wish. So, I am pretty sure that the time to sanitise our democracy has come.
Since the return to democracy from 1999 till date we are just hearing about National Assembly (House of Representatives) and just knowing little about their affairs,. We had the following speakers:-
Salisu Buhari 1999 – 2000; Gali Umar Na Abba 2000 – 2003; Aminu Bello Masari 2003 – 2007; Patricia Etteh 2007; Dimeji Bankole 2007- 2011; Aminu Waziri Tambuwal 2011 – 2015; Yakubu Dogara 2015 – 2019; and Femi Gbajabiamila 2019 till date.
During the election of these speakers by their fellow members, Nigerians didn’t care about democracy and the House of Representatives, respectively. I fact, I don’t know that we once had a female speaker (Patricia) until now that I am writing on the National Assembly, but thanks to the 2023 elections, which made us to become up to date.
The speakership seat is normally zoned. If the president comes from South then the speaker must come from the North or if the president comes from the North then the speaker must come South. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo from Ogun state, South-west; Gali Umar Na Abba from Kano, North-west was the speaker, House of Representatives.
Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua from Katsina state, North-west; Dimeji Bankole from Ogun state, South-west was the speaker, House of Representatives. Presently, this is how it will look like, but the seat must be zoned to the North since the president is from the South-west.
These are the contenders: Aliyu Betare, Borno state; Aminu Sani Jaji, Zamfara state; Ahmad Wase, Plateau state; Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Kano state; and Tajudeen Abbas, Kaduna state.
The objective of this piece is not to dance to any of these contenders’ tune because I don’t have any favourite candidate among them. Besides, an ordinary citizen like me cannot do nothing except to express myself on an issue like this, which has become necessary, and leave the rest to those in incharge to decide their fate. But if I will show a bit sentiment I would have said that no matter what, the seat must come to the North because I am a northerner.
This piece is to emphasise on the sensitivity of the seat and at the same time to caution the APC government against making lopsided decision. Ideally, a party that has majority of legislators sould produce the speaker and APC has the majority over the other political parties.
Failure to be proactive and consider the above recommendations will not only open the door for the opposition to challenge the credibility and competency of the ruling party and the presidency in general it will also give them an opportunity to be relevant in the House.
Abubakar Muhammad Sani,
Kaduna, Kaduna state
[email protected]
