Miriam Onuoha, a member‑elect of the House of Representatives, has entered the race for Speaker of the 10th National Assembly. Representing the Onuimo/Isiala Mbano/Okigwe Federal Constituency in Imo State under the All Progressives Congress (APC), Onuoha announced her ambition at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday. She is the first woman to openly declare a bid for the speakership and the second candidate from the South‑East, following Benjamin Kalu of Abia State, who chairs the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs.
At the conference, Onuoha was flanked by two serving male members of the House—Abdulkadir Abdullahi (APC, Bauchi) and Emeka Chinedu (PDP, Imo)—as well as several fresh members‑elect and members of the APC Presidential Campaign Council. In her address, titled “The Unity House,” she described the 10th Assembly as a potential watershed for Nigeria’s fledgling democracy. She called for a “nationalist and dynamic team player” to revive the economy and deliver dividends to Nigerians, emphasizing the need for a service‑driven leader who values citizen participation.
Onuoha highlighted the declining number of women in parliament, urging deliberate action to bridge the gender gap and urging the National Assembly’s leadership to support a competent, experienced woman. She praised President‑elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his “he‑for‑she” approach, noting his selection of a female running mate in Lagos and his support for his wife’s senatorial bid, aligning with the UN’s 35 percent affirmative action goal for women. Onuoha argued that her election as Speaker would simultaneously advance gender balance and youth inclusion in Nigeria’s political landscape, stating, “I, Princess Miriam, fully represent the twin‑engine essence of Nigeria’s youth and female status quo, now an endangered and vulnerable species.”
The lawmaker also addressed regional balancing, describing it as a “veritable national challenge” that her speakership could resolve, thereby promoting national unity, peace, and inclusion.
The field of aspirants for the Speaker’s office now exceeds ten, including several who have yet to formally declare. Notable candidates are Deputy Speaker Ahmed Wase, Majority Leader Alhassan Ado‑Doguwa, House Committee Chairmen Yusuf Gagdi (Navy), Aliyu Betara (Appropriations), Olaide Akinremi (Science Research Institutes), Benjamin Kalu (Media and Public Affairs), Tajudeen Abbas (Land Transport), Abdulraheem Olawuyi (Emergency and Disaster Preparedness), Sada Soli (Water Resources), Makki Yalleman (Deputy Chairman, Defence), and Sani Jaji. The candidates hail from across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones: Plateau (Wase, Gagdi), Kano (Ado‑Doguwa), Borno (Betara), Oyo (Akinremi), Abia (Kalu), Jigawa (Yalleman), Zamfara (Jaji), Katsina (Soli), Kwara (Olawuyi), Kaduna (Abbas), and Imo (Onuoha).
President‑elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is from Lagos in the South‑West, while Vice President‑elect Kashim Shettima comes from Borno State in the North‑East. The APC must now allocate National Assembly leadership positions for the remaining zones—North‑West, North‑Central, South‑South, and South‑East.
Comments are closed for this story.