It is now crystal clear that Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila will not be part of the 10th House of Representatives, when it is, as expected, inaugurated on June 13, 2023. JOSHUA EGBODO writes on the latest developments as the lawmaker representing Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos state takes a bow after about a two decade-long parliamentary sojourn
Early signs
Though Gbajabiamila contested the February National Assembly election, which held alongside the presidential poll, and won his return bid back to the House of Representatives, on the day certificates of return were being issued to elected members of the House of Representatives, Gbajabiamila was conspicuously absent, creating speculations that he may be retiring soon as a lawmaker. He was later to defend the absence as having no link to any plan to leave the House, citing a similar incident when he had to privately pick his certificate after the 2019 general elections.
The apparent game plan in the perception of many was that he contested the parliamentary election as a safety guard against losing it all, in case President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) lost the presidential election. If that had happened, he would, after winning to return, remained a floor member of the House, as it was very doubtful for him to be elected speaker of the new assembly.
More exit plans confirmed?
When the debate continued, on Thursday May 25, 2023, Gbajabiamila in what many analysts saw as deeper confirmation of his exit plans was the handover of leadership of the Conference of Speakers of African Parliaments (COSAP), to the Speaker of Ghana”s parliament, Alban Bagbin, and the Legislative Mentorship Initiative (LMI) to the management of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).
“The Conference of African Speakers (CoSAP) was conceived amid a global epidemic that disrupted the global economy, redefined the nature of international relations, and took a terrible toll, as evidenced by the incredible number of lives lost, and families decimated. We still do not know to any degree of certainty from whence that devastation came. As such, we do not understand what needs to be done to prevent such a catastrophe in future. However, we know, and must never forget, that the world that existed before the pandemic is gone forever”, he said on what necessitated the COASP.
On the LMI, Gbajabiamila said it “was, for a long time, a dream deferred”, adding that “In June 2022, that long-deferred dream came to life when the programme was launched. And in October, on a day I will never forget, we welcomed the first cohort of participants in the initiative. We have, since then, graduated the first LMI fellows, several of whom have gone on to try to contribute their quota to the Nigerian project in various arenas”.
Like a rumour
When news filtered in that the outgoing Speaker had been appointed as Chief of Staff to the President, a lot, including journalists were left confused. This was because there was no official communication to that effect. Even on the floor last Thursday, the likes of outgoing Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu were already addressing him as “the brand new Chief of Staff”, an attribution Gbajabiamila himself did not raise any objection to.
It was to be later in the day, and during a meeting with governors on the platform of the APC, that the President reportedly made the appointment public, by informing them of his choices for the position, and that of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), for which he named former Governor of Benue state, Senator George Akume.
From the horse’s mouth
Moments afterwards, Gbajabiamila in a Twitter message made it clearer on the appointment as he wrote; “Thank you Mr. President for finding me worthy of being your Chief of Staff.
“Having spent the last 20 years in the Nigerian Parliament, and after winning my 6th term election into the National Assembly, I shall work with Mr President in discharging the enormous task ahead of him for the peace and progress of the federal republic of Nigeria.
“I shall give my best when I take office on June 14 2023 as reflected in Mr. President’s official letter”.
Speakership aspirants pour encomiums
With the appointment officially confirmed, some leading aspirants for speakership of the 10th House of Representatives have continued to felicitate with the outgoing speaker, describing the appointment as well deserved.
The APC’s endorsed speakership candidate, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, in his message, congratulated Gbajabiamila, saying that the appointment was a testament of his (Gbajabiamila’s) pedigree, capacity and competence to handle any national assignment given to him. “I want to appreciate Mr. President for making the right choice in appointing our Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila as his Chief of Staff.
“To me, this is one appointment that has shown that Mr. President is not only strategic in his thinking but also sagacious in his leadership. I know that the Chief of Staff to the President will work assiduously with Mr. President to make Nigeria great,” Abbas said.
Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, and another top speakership aspirant for the 10th House of Representatives, Hon. Muktar Betara Aliyu in his congratulatory message described the Speaker as a true democrat whose service to humanity will continue to foster a good working relationship with the executive and the legislature, noting that President Tinubu could not have made a better choice for a Chief of Staff than Gbajabiamila, owing to his wealth of legislative experience, administrative acumen and loyalty.
“My earnest desire is to work with the Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila to bring about the desired Renewed Hope Nigerians yearn for. “I am indeed glad that my president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a true democrat will also work with the legislature to provide dividends of democracy to the populace. For me, the choice of Rt Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila will work in harmony with the legislature and the country at large irrespective of tribe and religion to bring about the dividends of democracy in our country”, he stated.
On his part, Chairman of the House Committee on Navy and aspirant for the speakership, Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi felicitated Gbajabiamila, saying he was elated by the choice of the Speaker because he has no reservation about his competence and ability to support President Tinubu to achieve his lofty plans for the growth and development of Nigeria.
According to him, as a seasoned lawmaker that has well over 20 years experience in the workings of the legislature, he is confident that Gbajabiamila will work to create a productive relationship between the two arms of government that will ultimately benefit the Nigerian people.
Also, outgoing Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, who’s message was made available to journalists on Sunday, said the appointment was timely, appropriate, and well-deserved, adding that Gbajabiamila had contributed significantly to the emergence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President. He therefore enjoined the Speaker to build on the policies that have defined him as good administrator, while sustaining the programmes and developmental agenda of President Tinubu.
Aides’ perspective
Gbajabiamila had a valedictory engagement with all his personal aides last Wednesday, during which he told them how their services helped him become a better presiding officer of the House of Representatives. He said: “You…rarely get credit for the quietly efficient work done behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly through various challenges and limitations.
“While we will long remember the things we accomplished together, I want you to remember that by our joint efforts, we helped our beloved country avert disaster more than once, and we kept the machinery of the legislature running to the benefit of the Nigerian people. While we were here, we didn’t just mark time; we made a difference. You made me a better Speaker of the House of Representatives. I thank you most sincerely for it”, he said.
Speaking earlier, Chief of Staff to the Speaker, Olanrewaju Smart appreciated the speaker for providing the platform and creating the enabling environment for the aides to contribute to the speaker’s tenure on his mantra of ‘Nation-Building: A Joint Task.’
“By all estimates, the 9th House of Representatives has been one of the most productive legislatures in the history of our democracy. This office and the people in it have been instrumental in all these accomplishments. That is a legacy we can all be proud of”, Smart said as he appreciated the contributions of his other colleagues.
But who will emerge Speaker?
As the clock continue ticking towards inauguration of the new assembly, the political game’s climax has remained yet unpredictable for who may emerge speaker. The G-7 speakership aspirants have so far been adamant to the APC’s zoning arrangement, vowing to arrive at a consensus endorsement from within the group.
There had been reports of a scheduled meeting of President Tinubu with members of the opposition political parties this Thursday, whatever for, is yet unknown. But pundits believe that a deal may be struck with the President at the expected meeting with the minority team, which collectively at the moment has a numerical edge over the APC.
The waiting continues as the day of inauguration beckons.
