A case for Hon.Abbas Tajudeen, quintessential lawmaker fit to handle the gavel in the 10th National Assembly 

By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

Àhead of the inauguration in June 2023 of the 10th National Assembly, the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commenced moves to ensure that those who would provide leadership in the National Assembly were chosen not only to consolidate on the gains of democracy but also pacify geopolitical regions that might have felt the pains of losing the Presidential election. 

Already, the Southeast, going to reports, was in the mind of the President to elect for the position of Senate President. With the South West having their son as President and an indigene of the Northeast as Vice President, keen observers of the political configuration in Nigeria have reasoned.that it could only be fair if a member of the House of Representatives from the Northwest region is supported to become the next Speaker of the lower Parliament. 

Northwest; a stronghold of the APC 

In the Northwest geopolitical zone, 6 out of the 7 states were controlled by the APC. The zone is therefore a political enclave of the ruling party where massive votes were garnered and helped to propel the APC to victory in the Presidential election..

Although many ranking members of the House had already shown interest, and various groups and associations springing up to clamour for members from the Northeast and Northcentral zones for the position of Speaker, the position residing in the Northwest zone would ensure a genuine adherence to the balance of power.

Some members .have begun to jostle for the position without recourse to either religious sentiment or geopolitical zone.

El Rufai will Lobby Tinubu  for Tajuddeen

Satisfied with the leadership qualities of Hon.Tajuddeen, Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufa’I of Kaduna State had appealed to the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to support this emergence as Speaker. 

 Hon.Abbas Tajudeen, the Iyan Zazzau has all it takes to be the next Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives.

He represents Zaria Federal Constituency and is the House Committee Chairman, of Land Transport. He has been in the House of Representatives from  2011 in the 7th Assembly to date

Governor El-Rufai who spoke to party supporters in Zaria said his wish was to see Hon.Tajuddeen occupying the number one seat in the House of Representatives. 

“But the most important thing I will request from Tinubu if at all I contributed to his success in the election, the only payback is for the Iyan Zazzau to become Speaker ” the Governor has said.

This gesture has demonstrated that Hon.Tajuddeen is supported from his home state for the exalted office in the House of Representatives.

To many, El Rufai’s position should be supported especially by the sister states of Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara,Jigawa and Kebbi which had either produced a Speaker or Deputy speaker since the advent of democracy in 1999. Kaduna remains the only state in the Northwest sub-region that had not and incidentally, Hon.Tajuddeen has gotten an executive endorsement from the Executive Governor. 

Hon. (Dr) Abbas Tajudeen, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Land transport represents Zaria Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, enjoyed grassroots support and has always garnered majority votes in elections. 

He scaled through the primary election, faced the national parliamentary election on February 25th, 2023 and won, convincingly.

He is among the few lawmakers in the 9th National Assembly 

He sponsored several bills and motions as well as carried out several constituency projects in his Constituency

it’s now necessary to consider who succeeds Rt.Hon.Gbajabiamila based on individual track record, competence and performance.

As consultations progress on who becomes the next Speaker, pundits believe Hon.Tajuddeen has impeccable credentials to lead the green chamber and provide the necessary leadership that would checkmate the executive arm within constitutional limits, and further unite the numerous members for proper law-making and oversight.