The 10th National Assembly was formally inaugurated on Monday with the federal lawmakers electing their leaders who would pitot the affairs of the two chambers for the next four years.
First to elected their leaders were the Senators who chose former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio as President with Senator Barai jubril from Kano state as his deputy.
Sen Jubril, Dep Senate President
Akpabio, who also served as Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs in the last Buhari administration, was sworn in as the Senate President shortly after his election.
Akpabio, who represents Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, scored 63 votes to beat his rival, Sen. Abdulaziz Yari who polled 46 votes in the election.
While Sen. Barau Jubril, representing Kano-North Senatorial District, has emerged as Deputy President, following his nomination at the inauguration of 10th Senate on Wednesday.
Jubril’s nomination was done by Sen. David Umahi (APC-Ebonyj) and seconded by Salihu Mustapha (APC-Kwara).
Jubri, in his remarks shortly after his nomination, accepted to serve as Deputy President of Senate.
He was immediately sworn-in by Clerk to National Assembly, Alhaji Sani Tambuwal.
In the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas from Zaria federal constituency of Kaduna State, emerged winner of the Speakership contest after scoring 353 votes to brush aside Aminu Jaji who scored 3 votes and Idris Wase, who also scored 3 votes.
The victory of Abbas was in line with the decision of the ruling All Progressive Congress APC, which had chosen him and Hon Benjamin Kalu as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 10th House respectively.
Hon Benjamin Kalu, Dep Speaker
Two days ago, Hon. Betara and Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, had after meeting with President Bola Tinubu, stated that they would not be continuing with their desire to be Speaker of 10th Assembly.
Two members of the G7 Hon. Ahmed Wase and Hon. Aminu Jaji had continued in the race for speakership, making the total numbers of nominees 3.
The process commenced before 10am as the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, joined by the Clerk of the House, had presided over the session.
The DCNA took the roll call for all 359 members-elect after which he called for nomination of candidates for the position of Speaker of the 10th House.
First, Ado Doguwa nominated Tajudeen Abbas, while another lawmaker from Kwara state nominated Ahmed Idris and Hon Doro nominated Aminu Jaji for the position of Speaker.
The three contestants accepted their nominations, after which the DCNA closed the nomination and proceeded to conduct the election which he said would be open ballot according to the amended House rule.
The house adopted the open ballot method as enshrined in its amended House rule that states that when there are more than two nominations each member-elect shall openly declare his/her candidates of choice for the position of Speaker.
As the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlami, called the Members-elect begining from Abia state, Tajudeen Abbas was mentioned.
The states were Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Zamfara, states and the Federal Capital Territory all voted Tajudeen Abbas for speaker of the 10th House.
About four members dared to go against the party’s choice of Abba, as they voted Idris Wase or Aminu Jaji respectively.
While Sani Jaji got 3 votes, Idris Ahmed Wase got 3 votes.
Closely on the heels of Abbas’s emergence and swearing in as Speaker, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr Sani Tambuwal, called for nominations for the position of Deputy Speaker for which only Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu was nominated and seconded.
There was no other nomination after him, prompting the Clerk to the National Assembly to declared nomination process closed and announced Kalu elected unopposed as Deputy Speaker.
Kalu immediately took his oath of membership and oath of office as Deputy Speaker.
(With additional report by The Conclave)
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