A 45-year- lawyer, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, yesterday, emerged the Speaker of the Seventh National Assembly, NASS, after a three-hour voting at the Assembly Complex.
Tambuwal,PDP, a third- timer of the lower legislative chamber represents Kebbe Tambuwal Constituency in Sokoto State, re-wrote history as his emergence rubbished the much- orchestrated zoning formula of the ruling PDP which zoned the Speakership to the South- West.
He polled 252 votes against Mulikat Akande-Adeola’s 90 votes to clinch the coveted position of the Speaker of the Seventh Assembly .
The lawyer/politician was not given the chance of winning because of the invincible hands of PDP that was heavily behind the candidacy of Mrs Mulikat Akande-Adeola.
The proceedings started at 11.15am immediately the upper legislative chamber concluded its nomination exercise that produced veteran Senate President once again as president.
Emmanuel Jime, PDP, Benue, nominated Tambuwal and was seconded by Nnena Elendu-Ukeje, representing Bende Federal Constituency that he should run for the Speakership.
Mulikat AkandeAdeola-was nominated by Bethel Amadi and seconded by Saidu Namadi to also run for the coveted position.
The grand design to change the House rule that permits reps to vote through the open secret ballot system to open ballot system by the clerk of the House before the proceedings started was rejected by the members who shouted him down.
The members perfectly carried out their threat when they vowed to change the tide of things in the House by independently voting for a candidate of their choice.
This direction they had adopted the open secret ballot system under the guise that the newly- elected 262 members cannot vote in the speakership election due to lack of the electronic card, the motion was unanimously adopted and this prepared grounds for the Tambuwal victory yesterday.
The general fear was the fact that PDP would muscle members to submission if it is open ballot system but if members vote secretly they would vote according to their conscience.
Muraina Ajibola the first name to be tangled by the ruling party ran into troubled waters because fellow members saw him as one legislator that cannot carry the House along and he was dumped for Mulikat that was never given any chance by analysts because she was not known to be in any camp.
But suddenly reports had it that she has the blessings of both the party and the presidency to feature in the contest yesterday.
Many thought that with the backing from the all powerful PDP it would be smooth sailing for Mulikat who was properly humbled with a very wide margin in the election.
The South East had equally made an attempt to show case a candidate but a brick wall as the PDP quickly checkmated the move by appointing Anyim Pius Anyim a former president of the senate SGF, this blew the south East out of reckoning in the race.
The South East caucus decided to pitch their tenth with the North West and supported the Tambuwal with all available arsenals and this equally paid as Emeka Ihedioha emerged the deputy Speaker of the Seventh Assembly.
The North East caucus got its burnt as it envisaged that if the previous zoning formula had remained, the deputy speakership would have automatically remained in the zone but with this new development, they lost it as the new deputy speaker is from the South East.
The greatest loser in this whole game is the South West that lost the speakership to the North West that has the Vice President from same zone while the South West has nothing in the kitty.
The two main principal officers were Dimeji Bankole Chief Whip and deputy Whip respectively. Analysts are of the view that this result is a pointer to the return of the Dimeji Bankole men.(Vanguard)
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