6th June, 2015
House of Representatives members-elect on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have elected Honourable Femi Gbajiabiamila as their candidate for the next House of Reps Speaker, with Tahir Monguno his Deputy.
At the primaries conducted on Saturday in Abuja and witnessed by the APC Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, and other National Working Committee members, Gbajabiamila polled 154 votes to beat second place, Yakubu Dogara, who could only manage three paltry votes. Four invalid votes were recorded in the election.
Dogara would have to accept defeat and back Gbajabiamila when election for Speaker at the House of Reps is held after agreeing to honour the results of the mock election.
Prior the election, National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, told journalists that the major contenders agreed to sign an undertaking to accept whatever is the outcome of the primary election.
It would be recalled that the APC have 214 members in the House of Reps against the Peoples Democratic Party’s 125 lawmakers.
Three other political parties, Labour Party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance and Accord Party, share the balance of 10 seats, bringing the total to 360.