The number of ranking members of the House of Representatives eyeing the Speaker’s seat in the 10th National Assembly has risen to nine, even though incumbent Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila was re‑elected for a sixth term and will remain in the House. The current National Assembly was inaugurated in June 2019, and the 10th Assembly is expected to be inaugurated later this year. The latest declaration of interest is scheduled for Tuesday by Abdulraheem Olawuyi, who represents the Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke‑Ero Federal Constituency in Kwara State. Olawuyi, Chairman of the House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, said on Saturday that he would officially announce his ambition in Abuja on Tuesday. In a statement titled “Rep AbdulRaheem joins race for Speaker, to officially declare April 4,” he said he had consulted widely and was encouraged by the feedback. He believes his experience will improve the Speaker’s office if elected by his colleagues and expects both old and new members of the House to attend the declaration. “If elected, I will promote policies that benefit all Nigerians, work with all parties to unite the country, and look forward to meeting fellow lawmakers, sharing my vision, and listening to their ideas,” Olawuyi said.
Other aspirants include Abubakar Yalleman, the lawmaker for Mallammadori/Kaugama Federal Constituency in Jigawa State and Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, who declared his ambition to journalists last week. Also mentioned are Deputy Speaker Ahmed Wase; Majority Leader Alhassan Ado‑Doguwa; Chairman of the House Committee on Navy Yusuf Gagdi; Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations Aliyu Betara; Chairman of the House Committee on Science Research Institutes Olaide Akinremi; Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs Benjamin Kalu; and Chairman of the House Committee on Land Transport Tajudeen Abbas. The aspirants hail from across the geopolitical zones: Wase (Plateau, North‑Central), Ado‑Doguwa (Kano, North‑West), Gagdi (Plateau, North‑Central), Betara (Borno, North‑East), Akinremi (Oyo, South‑West), Kalu (Abia, South‑East), Yalleman (Jigawa, North‑West), and Abbas (Kaduna, North‑West). Lawmakers remain divided over which zones should produce the next federal parliamentary leaders. Wase has already begun a nationwide visitation to key APC stakeholders to rally support for his bid.
In the Senate, two members have openly declared their ambitions to preside over the upper chamber: Majority Whip Senator Orji Kalu and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations Jibrin Barau. Former Minority Leader Senator Godswill Akpabio and Chairman of the Committee on Senate Services Sani Musa have not yet made official declarations, though their loyalists are campaigning on their behalf. Incumbent Senate President Ahmad Lawan will return to the chamber in the next Assembly. The ruling party’s national leadership met with the National Assembly members‑elect in Abuja on 6 March 2023, deferring zoning discussions until after the governorship and state House elections on 18 March. The APC has not met with the lawmakers‑elect two weeks after the polls.
Kano State Representative Shamsudeen Dambazau has urged the APC to zone the Senate presidency to the North‑West and to support Jibrin Barau for the position. In a statement titled “10th National Assembly: Why APC should consider North‑West and why Barau Jibrin should be next Senate President,” Dambazau highlighted the benefits to the party if the seat goes to the zone. He praised Barau’s experience as a three‑term parliamentarian and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, noting his role in aligning the federal budget with the January‑December cycle, which aided President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic agenda. Dambazau also emphasized Barau’s academic credentials, his representation of Kano North Senatorial District—the largest in the North‑West—and the strategic advantage of zoning the Senate presidency to the North‑West for consolidating APC support in Kano and other states where opposition parties are strong.
The APC is expected to retain its majority in both chambers of the 10th Assembly, with 109 senators and 360 representatives, while the opposition, led by the Peoples Democratic Party, holds roughly half the seats in each house. The outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari is from the North‑West, Vice‑President Prof Yemi Osinbajo from the South‑West, Senate President Ahmad Lawan from the North‑East, and Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo‑Agege from the South‑South. In the House, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila is from the South‑West and the Deputy Speaker from the North‑Central, leaving the South‑East unrepresented among the top six positions. Lawmakers continue to await the APC’s zoning formula, calling for the allocation of key leadership seats to their respective zones.
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