Lawmakers’ Acceptance, Not Endorsement ‘ll Determine Speaker – Jibrin Edegbe Odemwingie and Bode Gbadebo

Lawmakers’ Acceptance, Not Endorsement ‘ll Determine Speaker – Jibrin

Edegbe Odemwingie and Bode Gbadebo

— May 20, 2015 12:15 pm 

The chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Finance and speakership aspirant, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, has said that the acceptance of the lawmakers, and not their purported zonal and state endorsements will determine who emerges winner of the 8th Assembly Speakership election.

Jibrin (Kano/APC), spoke in Abuja yesterday during a chat with some selected journalists while reacting to sharp divisions in the ranks of some state and zonal caucuses over the purported endorsements of some speakership contestants.

The North East and North Central caucuses broke into factions over several reports of the endorsement of the trio of current minority leader, Femi Gbajabiamila; Mohammed Tahir Mongonu and Yakubu Dogara.

He said, “As evident with the outgoing 7th Assembly, members of the House of Representatives chose their leaders based on acceptance, not purported endorsement being bandied in the media. I am confident that the 8th Assembly will continue this laudable democratic trend.”

Jibrin also challenged other speakership aspirants to clearly articulate their legislative agenda instead of bandying “fake” endorsement claims.

“All the endorsement claims and counter-claims have ended up as fake and lies.

 However, the focus should be acceptability not fake endorsements. Secondly, I have concentrated clearly on what I will do if elected; other aspirants are simply struggling to be speaker in a do-or-die manner. I challenge them to come out with their agenda if they are sure it will be in the new spirit of change!” Jibrin added.

The Kano lawmaker hailed the president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari for his promise not to interfere in the selection of leaders of the National Assembly and allow for “due process” in the selection exercise.

Why Gbajabiamila Is Our Choice – Hon Chanchangi

The current minority leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) is the only one in the race for the speakership of the incoming 8th House of Representatives because he has the requisite support base to clinch the position, a returning member of the House, Hon. Ahmed Rufa’i Chanchangi (APC, Kaduna), has said.

Chanchangi, who said this in an interview with journalists in Abuja yesterday, added that the principle of fairness, integrity and reciprocity demands that all members of the APC) support the bid of Gbajabiamila to lead the House in the incoming 8th National Assembly given his sterling leadership qualities as the leader of the opposition lawmakers in the lower chamber.

He said, “I think, to me and to the returning members of the House, there is no conflict at all. The only person in the race is Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. “