Former minority leader in the House of Representatives Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila has been adopted as sole All Progressives Congress candidate for the Speakership of the House.
His adoption followed a party conducted primary on Saturday.
Similarly, Mohammed Tahir Monguno emerged the party’s candidate for the deputy speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives.
According to the APC National Secretary, Mallam Ibrahim Bala Gubi, who announced the outcome of the election, Gbajabiamila scored 154 votes to defeat his challenger, Yakubu Dogara, scored 3 votes .
He said further that “Femi Gbajabiamila having satisfied and scored the highest votes,” was deemed as “the sole candidate of the APC”.
For the deputy speaker, the secretary said Mohammed Tahir Monguno scored 153 votes to emerge as candidate for deputy speaker.
In his remarks, APC National Chairman, Dr Odigie Oyegun, adviced Gbajabiamila to reach out to Dogara and others to ensure harmony and unity among party lawmakers.
Oyegun said, “Let me use this platform to congratulate you ,Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila on your victory.It is a victory for the party, so reach out for all the members because you are representing the party. Please reach out to Hon. Dogara for unity and harmony sake so that you can run an all- inclusive government.
“Take a leaf from our president who is the leader of everybody and not for any body. Let me also congratulate Hon Dogara and other members who voted. It shows the maturity and level of conduct you have exhibited today.”
Gbajabiamila thanked his supporters, saying that what happened was the triumph of democracy. Gushing with palpable joy, the Lagos-born lawmaker, said, “This is the change that Nigerians have asked for and this is the part of the change that we have given them today. I also want to thank my colleagues who I have led for eight years as the leader of the opposition (and who have ) found me worthy of leading them again for another four years not as a leader of the opposition but as the speaker of the House of Representatives.”
He pledged to get “ across board” to canvass for votes from PDP, the LP, the North, East, South and the West in order to get a legitimate mandate, though it would be possible to win legally with the votes of APC members .
