Reps to reject zoning candidate for speaker
From JAMES OJO, Abuja.
Monday, May 16, 2011

A deft moves to reject imposition of candidate for the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives through the zoning formula of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] may have altered the political equation in the emergence of a new speaker.
Old members in the House pushing for a break from the zoning arrangement met thrice last week to search for an acceptable candidate out side the South West geo-political zone which returned only three members at the close of the National Assembly election.

Daily Sun gathered that the cognate members at one of the meetings held in NICON Luxury Hotel set up a search group made up of two members each from the six geo-political zones.
A member of the group from the South –South Zone hinted that the group of returnee members was not comfortable with the personality that the zoning formula will likely produce among those qualified for the race.

“This is why we decided to throw open the contest for the Speaker that the new House deserves, we don’t want a speaker that will not be able to hold the House together.
“You will agree with me that many things are wrong with us, which is why the image of the House is at the lowest ebb, we need somebody with courage, charisma and the ability to mobilize members to change the image of the House.”

On which zone the next speaker will come from, the member, who held one of the A-List committees in the outgoing House said that the group was not looking at zones, but merit and the ability to deliver. Another member of the group whose returning battle has shifted to the Election Tribunal said that members are looking at the side of the Deputy Whip, Aminu Tambuwal to lead the next House. According to him, the choice of Tambuwal has received support, not only from returning members, former members of the House who were bitter about the situations in the House are equally molilizing support to see the emergence of somebody with a mission to redeem the image of the House.

“I can tell you that some old members were in Abuja to encourage us and galvanize support for Tambuwal. We now have contact group and they would meet with newly elect members on the need to support Tambuwal.” On Saturday, a pressure group made up of newly elected members of the House denied adopting any cognate member jostling for the plum position. Coordinator of the 7th National Assembly Group, Dr Abdul Jubrin said at a meeting of the group attended by Vice President Namadi Sambo and one of the gladiators in the race for the Speakership, Ajibola Muraina that the group has not endorsed any of the aspirants.

Instead, he said that the group will vet the resume of all the aspirants and also engage them on their vision and plans to lead the House.“It is better to make this clarification in the presence of the pressmen so that the public will know that our group has not adopted anybody for the position of the Speaker.“We will look at the credentials of anybody who wants to lead the House and do proper screening; it is after that that we will make our position known.”

He explained that the group was formed as a platform for newly elected members to interact before entering the chamber, adding that it was a wrong impression for anybody to conclude that the group was been sponsored to achieve a particular goal.“We are coming out of a rigorous election from different backgrounds and we felt that it will not be proper for us to just meet on the floor on the day of our inauguration

Ajibola is among the three returnee members from Oyo state aiming to replace Dimeji Bankole, the others are Mulikat Adeola Akande and Tajudeen Kareem Abisodun. He has been adopted by the South West caucus in a letter authored by the national Vice chairman, Tajudeen Oladipo to the acting national chairman, Dr Haliru Bello at the weekend.
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/may/16/national-16-05-2011-001.html