Countdown to the June 6 inauguration of the House of Representatives, two groups from the North have indicated that they would support Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila to be the next Speaker of the 8th Assembly of the House.

This is as the House Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Pa[b][/b]rty (PDP) denied that it had endorsed one of the candidates seeking the Speakership position.

Equally, one of the aspirants for the position of Speaker, Hon. Abdulmumini Jibrin, has reiterated that he was still in the race and was the only candidate to beat.

The northern groups under the auspices of the Northern Youths Political Merger Group and the Northern Youths Forum for Democracy stated that they backed the aspiration of Gbajabiamila in view of the overwhelming support that the South-West gave to the President-elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.


Outlining the qualities that stands Gbajabiamila out from the remaining contestants, coordinator of the groups Hon. Musa Mujahid Zaitawa, said it would be inconceivable and a great disservice to the nation if the Lagos lawmaker was not elected as Speaker of the House.
"The youths from northern Nigeria have resolved to support the South West in the contest for Speakership of the House as a reward of their immense contribution to the victory of APC without which the story might have been different," the group noted in a statement.


It observed that: "Any attempt, therefore, by whatsoever Group, Forum or Organisation that claims to have taken decision against the Northern Youths interest and decision of supporting the South West for the position of Speakership is baseless and unfounded."


The groups unanimously appealed to the party to zone the Speakership of the House to the South West "Without hesitation or fear of complaint, taking into account the reasons mentioned above."


"We really believe that any one can contest for Speakership of the House from whatsoever region but that, as far as we are concerned, it is against the Northern Youths decision and arrangement. We call on our elected members House of Representatives, especially the ones from the north, to, as a matter of fact, look for a candidate that can deliver and the one that has the necessary qualities to occupy the seat."


Meanwhile, in the wake of a claim by Hon Sam Okwu, a PDP member, that the party caucus had endorsed Hon Yakubu Dogara to be the next Speaker of the House, Hon. Teejay Yusuf, a member-elect, representing Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency of Kogi State, debunked the claim on behalf of the caucus in a statement made available to THISDAY.


According to the group, it was too early and improper to fly such a kite. "Such hasty and invalid speculations appear to have been given some mileage by the lone voice of one of our members who recently expressed sentiments in favour of one of the candidates.


"We hereby unequivocally state that our Caucus has not endorsed anyone for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives."


The Caucus said it would place premium on being an active opposition "With clear focus on and mission to sustain Nigeria’s democracy while exercising a dynamic presence in the polity," pledging to grant audience to all the aspirants for the position of Speaker.


In a related development, Jibrin, referring to a recent statement by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the President-elect, said his chances were brighter unless the All Progressives Congress (APC) decided to ratify the zoning formula that would exclude him from contesting.
“It is a known fact that only if I am zoned out, under a free and fair contest, I will win with landslide margin the 8th Assembly Speakership election, none of the aspirants can match my popularity or provide the needed compatibility with the Incoming President to execute the needed reforms and deliver on our campaign promises like myself,” he said in a statement.


Tags: News, Nigeria, Featured, Speakership
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/groups-back-gbajabiamila-for-speakership-as-pdp-caucus-kicks/209466/

Prof Yemi Osinbajo and Wife at Oshiomole/Fortez Wedding

Gbajabiamila must be a legislative superstar to have earned this smear campaign. Buhari got heavy hate campaign and today he is President-elect. Femi Gbajabiamila has paid his dues in that House and has been a voice for the masses.
Femi has not defected from one party to another. I like principled people like him

For several years in Nigeria modern history, there was no effective opposition to the PDP in parliament. Indeed the opposition was dead and the ruling party had its way and a field day in parliament in most cases. The essential ingredient of checks and balances in a democracy was non- existent in the Nigerian context. Then all of a sudden in steps Femi Gbajabiamila, a brilliant, fearless and formidable voice for the opposition and for the people surfaced his change model.

It is often said in legislative circles in the National Assembly, “the fear of Gbajabiamila is the beginning of wisdom for the PDP”. He brought in a robust brand of legislative work and debates that was hitherto missing in parliament. He was deep, passionate, smart and well groomed. He talked the point and looked the point even in his dressing and posturing.

Femi Gbajabiamila is a lawyer with two law degrees from two jurisdictions, Nigeria and the United States, with an LLB and a Juris Doctorate (JD). Queried about why he left his law practice in United States to seek voyage in Nigerian politics, Gbajabiamila in his political memoir, Fearless, authored by Wale Okediran, responded, "I see politics as an extension of my legal practice which is another avenue to touch lives".

The business of lawmaking is a perfect match for sound legal practitioners, under the current seventh National Assembly; the Senate has thirteen Senators who are lawyers while the House of Representatives boast of fifty-one lawyers as members. The numerical strength of lawyers like Gbajabiamila in the House has helped in elevating legislative discourse and smoothen rough edges in Nigerian parliament.


Initially, nobody in Surulere politics gave Femi Gbajabiamila any chance when he first indicated interest to represent the area in the House in 2002. Most of the big players in Surulere politics saw him as an American returnee who sounded too unrealistic for the Nigerian political system. Undeterred, Gbaja (Abbrev.) started his campaign and began mobilizing his people. He convincingly won his party's primary election; above all, his performance at a community debate organized by Curtis Adeniyi Jones Community Development Association simply knocked his major PDP opponent out of contest. As soon as Femi was given the stage to deliver his speech he captivated and impressed the crowd with his knowledge of problems of his constituency. In view of this, the constituents' right there at the venue announced their support for him to the shock of his opponent still waiting to address the audience. Words soon spread across Surulere about his remarkable performance. Expectedly, Gbaja won in the general election and took his first oath of office in June, 2003.

In his first term between 2003 and 2007, Gbajabiamila had challenges in getting his people to understand distinction between the role of a parliamentarian and that of their elected counterparts in the executive. In no time Femi faced his leadership challenge by setting up Surulere Education Fund headed by Chief Gabriel Onosode and assisted by Late Amb. Segun Olusola and Mr. Benson Uwatse. The fund was able to raise money from corporate bodies in the constituency to repair some schools and offer financial assistance to pupils. In 2003 he assisted 300 indigents with bursary awards ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 Naira. Even though it was not his constitutional duty to execute projects, upon request from his people to construct a pedestrian bridge to link Iponri with their neighborhood he yielded and funded its construction and also at same period sunk 30 boreholes across his constituency.

If there are lawmakers that travel from Abuja to their constituency every weekend Gbajabiamila is one of them. To oil his relationship with his people in his first tenure Gbaja spent 17 million Naira on a poverty alleviation programme and credit scheme. He also sponsored 510 female constituents on vocational training with financial support of N25,000 for small business start-up.

Gbajabiamila received praises back home for nailing Obasanjo third-term plot on the floor of the House. "I and several of my colleagues received several phone calls and text messages asking us to step down from struggle in order to save our lives. However, because of our deep commitment to the entrenchment of democracy and political courage, we continued the struggle", he was quoted then to have said. Upon several denial of interest in third term by Obasanjo, Femi Gbajabiamila has this to say, "On May 3, 2006 I was approached via telephone by Chief Bode George through Hon Tunde Salau a PDP member from Lagos state to join the '3rd Term' movement. Subsequently, even though members were bribed with N50m while Senators got N100m, I was offered sum of N100m to back out of the anti third term struggle. I was later informed that over 100 legislators had collected their own share of the money. I rejected the bribe instead".

Femi Gbaja had so far in the cause of his legislative sojourn sponsored far reaching Bills and sound Motions that shaped Nigeria’s parliamentary history. On 16th of July 2006, Gbaja raised a Bill for an Act to protect the Rights of Employees. He also initiated a Corporate Prostitution Bill which sought to stop banks from using female employees to bring in stipulated deposits for bank; to his credit are Bills on Nigeria Construction Industry Local Content Development - 2012, EFCC amendment Bill, another Bill to set a definite date (September) for yearly budget presentation by the Executive to NASS for consideration, Bill to give force of law to joint resolutions of both Houses of parliament, Bill to give interest free loan to Nigerian students, Bill for the establishment of national vocational school, Bill to criminalize late/underpayment of employees in public and private organizations, Economic Stimulus Bill- to ensure the government pegs 40% of annual budget for capital expenditure annually till next 10 years and many more. It’s on record that Femi Gbaja sponsored the highest number of Bills in the 6th Assembly of Nigeria's parliament.

Upon his re-election back into the parliament, Gbajabiamila became the Leader of Action Congress (AC) Caucus in the House, Minority Whip and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives representatively. In Nov, 2011 Femi Gbajabiamila rejected his National Honours nomination on the ground that he did not merit it and disagreed with the process of selecting individuals for National Honours. He recommended that beneficiaries of National Honours must go through eye of the needle as done in advanced countries. To correct the lacuna in the National Honour Act Gbajabiamila sponsored an amendment to the Act so as to provide higher criteria for prospective beneficiaries of National Honour.

The 2013 merger of major opposition political parties in Nigeria which later culminated into All Progressive Congress (APC) was a game changer in Nigeria’s parliamentary history since 1999. A merger that suddenly turned into a movement in no time attracted new entrants from within and outside the ruling PDP. Consequently, APC, formerly in the minority, at that time outgrew the majority strength of the Peoples Democratic Party after 37 PDP lawmakers defected to APC on December 18, 2013.

Apparently embittered PDP placed her defected lawmakers on political and legal threats. Again it was time for Femi Gbajabiamila to match his professional calling with political expediency. His disagreement with status quo reads, “Nigeria perhaps with the most robust parliament is the only parliament where majority play role of the minority and minority does that of the majority…but the bleeding in the PDP would continue tomorrow, this week, next week and weeks to come”. He constantly referred to political and legal precedence and tit bits of Section 68 (1) of 1999 constitution to keep his party’s transducers at bay.

Gbajabiamila had come under pressure to step up and become the deputy speaker instead of being the majority leader based on the new order. However, political intrigues reversed the new order, Femi Gbajabiamila had to his credit a tenure where a minority party mustered majority strength and still dictates pace of debates and resolutions on the floor of House of Representatives. Gbajabiamila led APC’s dominance in the House has helped balance power in the parliament and rid our legislative institution of vulgar tendencies of the ruling party.

In retrospect, Obafemi Awolowo found himself as the Leader of Opposition in the Federal parliament in January 1960 and Femi Gbajabiamila’s intelligence and hard work fits into Awolowo’s role “to warn the government of the day against acts and measures which might give the opposition the cudgel with which to whip the government and swing public opinion away from it. Our idea of constructive criticism is that –we should point to those flaws and defects in government’s policies and programme; and then proceed further, and not just stop there, to make suggestions as to how these flaws and defects could be removed and ameliorated”. To critics of Gbajabiamila’s lifestyle and his way of leading the opposition in the parliament, Babatunde Fashola informed that, “we all have our weaknesses but when I relate with people, I dwell on their strong sides so that I can overlook whatever weaknesses they may have. I dwell on their strong sides and how I can harness those strong sides for my own self-improvement and for whatever common purpose we seek to achieve together. No politician is perfect but I think Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila is a very likable person”


Femi Gbajabiamila has no magic wand but for his ability to study and read widely, his leader and mentor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu believes, “his strength of character, fearless, and uncanny ability to deliver truth to the door step of the ruling PDP and keep the executive in check have made him a giant of Nigeria’s legislative history”.

While several methods by the ruling party to weaken the opposition under the seventh House of Representatives had consistently not be up to snuff, Nigeria’s democracy would be monotone and boring if there was no strong opposition to breathe life into doctrine of checks and balances for the reason that the opposition provides people an opportunity to hear the two sides of an argument before laws and resolutions are made.