SPEAKER OF 9TH ASSEMBLY: THE INTRIGUES, SUSPENSE AND SUBSTANCE

   By Emeka Nwosu

As we count down to the proclamation of the 9th National Assembly on 11th June,

2019, there are heightened tensions, intrigues and suspense on who, among the contending gladiators, would emerge as the Presiding Officers of the two Chambers. In the Senate, the following Senators are known to be gunning for the office of the Senate President, namely Ahmed Lawan (Yobe State), Danjuma Goje (Gombe State) and Ali Ndume (Borno State). Those in the race for Deputy Senate President include Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia State), Alimikhena (Edo State), Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta), Arc Kabiru Gaya (Kano State) and Prof. Ajayi Borroffice (Ondo State).

In the House of Representatives, the Speakership contenders include Femi Gbajabiamila (Lagos State), Mohammed Umaru Bago (Niger State) and Nkiru Onyejeocha (Abia State). The only known aspirant for Deputy Speaker is Hon Ahmed Wase from Plateau State. Barring any unforeseen developments, these aspirants would be testing their popularity amongst their colleagues as the National Assembly is inaugurated in the next few weeks.

In the case of the Senate, it would seem that there is no disagreement amongst Senators as to the Geo-political Zone the next Senate President is coming from; as all the three aspirants for the position are from the North East in line with the position of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the matter. But in the case of the office of the Deputy Senate President, there is a multiplicity of aspirants from different Geo-political Zones, reflecting a lack of consensus on which Zone fills the slot.

Our primary interest in this piece is, however, on the House of Representatives which is seen as the heartbeat of the National Assembly, considering the wider diversity of the Federal Constituencies and the relatively younger population of House Members compared to the Senate. The vibrancy and constructiveness of its membership has earned the House of Representatives the sobriquet: House of Nigerian people. The House is indeed truly representative of the Nigerian people by virtue of its composition and reach. Whoever seeks to lead the House must be a leader whose profile and character resonate well with the vast majority of the Members.

Given the previous history of fractiousness, recriminations and mistrust associated with successive leaderships in the House, whoever that will be installed as the Speaker must be someone who commands the acceptance of a wider spectrum of the Members. He or she must be a person of unimpeachable integrity, a nation builder and a tactician that is devoid of bigotry and clannishness. The House needs a fearless leader who is balanced in his views and fair-minded in his approach to national issues.

Of all the contenders, the man that fits the bill is Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago, the youthful, charismatic and dynamic Member representing Chanchaga Federal Constituency of Niger State. Bago is untainted and free from any scandals. He represents a fresh air as he is not bogged down by any controversies. There is no criminal record; no certificate scandal and no element of social indiscretion associated with his name. He has no ego problem and he relates very well with his colleagues. He is an affable character with a charming personality. Above all, he has a commanding presence that stands him out in the House. These are his selling points which have continued to endear him to his colleagues.

Umaru Bago is favoured by the odds to become the Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives. His argument for equitable and balanced representation in the leadership of the National Assembly is one of his strongest points which resonate very well with a vast number of his colleagues. Bago believes that every of the six Geo-political Zones should be represented in the power configuration of the country. He argues that since the President comes from the North West and the Vice President from the South West and the Senate Presidency zoned to the North East, it would be inequitable to zone the position of the Speaker to the South West which already has the Vice President.

For Bago, the Speakership slot should go to the North Central which gave the APC the third highest number of votes (2, 465, 599) in the last presidential election after the North West (5, 995,651) and North East (3, 238, 783) respectively. On the other hand, the South West polled 2, 036, 450 votes for the party. Bago and his numerous supporters believe it is unjust and inequitable to zone the Speakership to the South West which is already occupying one of the six principal political positions in the land while leaving out other Zones with nothing tangible.

Apart from the issues of equity and justice, Bago is also hinging his campaign for the Speakership on capacity and competence. The young man is well educated and holds postgraduate Degrees in Management, Business Administration, Economics and Finance from renowned Universities including Federal University of Technology, Minna; Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma; University of Calabar; and Cambridge Unviersity, United Kingdom.  

Investigations show that Bago`s support base cuts across all the geo-political divides in the country with the bulk of his supporters coming from the North Central and North West.

He is a very effective legislator who occupies the Chair of the House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration which is one of the critical Committees of the House. A third term Member, Bago has also served on other key Committees such as Appropriations; Banking and Currency; Education, Defense; Information and Communications Technology (ICT); and Internal Security. There is no doubt that Bago is well prepared for the challenge of steering the affairs of the 9th House of Responsibilities. He is good to go.

Nwosu, a Political Affairs Analyst wrote from Abuja.