House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, held a meeting with nine aspirants vying for his position in the upcoming 10th National Assembly.
According to a tweet from Gbajabiamila, the meeting was held to ensure a rancor-free campaign and for the aspirants to work together in the interest of the House and their party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Speaker believes that each of the aspirants has the capacity to lead the House and build on the legacies of the 9th Assembly.
The aspirants at the meeting included Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation Aliyu Mukthar Betara, Chairman of the House Committee on Navy Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs Benjamin Kalu, Chairman of the House Committee on Land Transport Tajudeen Abbas, Chairman of the House Committee on Disaster Preparedness Abdulraheem Olawuyi, Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources Sada Soli Jibia, Abubakar Makki Yalleman, and Sani Jaji.
Deputy House Leader, Peter Akpatason, also joined the meeting.
As gathered by News About Nigeria, the meeting was to forge the way forward and to find a way of avoiding a rancor-free campaign for them and to avoid things that can impede the integrity of the House.
The Speaker cannot impose any of the aspirants on the others, and the party has to speak out first on the zoning arrangement for the position.
The meeting aimed to ensure that the aspirants work together in the interest of all and that they do not make any negative comments or statements about each other during their campaigns.
The meeting also highlighted the need for the party to speak out first before anyone can take a position.
The Speaker believes in the capacity of these men, having worked with them for a while now.
The 10th National Assembly election will hold in 2023, and the race for the Speaker position is heating up. The Speaker’s meeting with the aspirants is a move to ensure a peaceful and harmonious election process.