Botched Bid
Again, the Conference of Nigerian Speakers of State Legislatures suffers fails to elect new officers
By Levinus Nwabughiogu
By 11 am on Thursday, September 22, 2011 when the event was billed to start, most people were still oblivious of any impending shift. Hopes were high that the scheduled election of a new Chairman who would be Speaker of Speakers in Nigeria, at least for the next two years would be elected. The venue in Gwarimpa Housing Estate, Abuja which houses the national secretariat of the Conference of Speakers of State legislatures of Nigeria was a beehive of activities of some sort. Every nook and cranny were a horde of security men both in uniform and plain clothes, journalists, aides to various Speakers and a host of other people who had come to show solidarity to the contestants.
Nothing showed that the election would not hold, hence the sudden postponement of the event took many aback.
The Source gathered that prior to the botched election there have been intrigues. The contenders have been making serious overtures to their colleagues for their support. Ever since the chairmanship slot was given to the North after the tenure of the pioneer chairman, Chibuike Amechi who is presently the governor of Rivers State, the Speakers especially those from the North eastern geo-political zone have been locked in a battle of wits for the juicy office. Though Taraba State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Haruna Istifanus Gbana succeeded Ameachi and has remained in office even after the expiration of his tenure seven months ago.
Gbana is currently playing Oliver Twist as he is seeking re-election.
Critics believe that his inability to realise what the body considers its greatest need such as the first line charge for the State legislatures and the pursuit of a more relevant, virile Speakers’ Conference in the almost three years of his reign as amongst the factors that may have nailed Gbana’s second term ambition.
Many state Speakers are said to be interested in the job. While Delta, Speaker, Victor Ochei is allegedly believed to be fronting for one of the contenders as it is not yet the turn of the South, Kwara Speaker, AbdulRazaq Atunwa is making a case for the North central zone. But the fact that the contest has been narrowed down between the Taraba and Gombe Speakers, Gbana and Inuwa Garba has, in the thinking of some analysts, seemingly dwarfed the chances of both the Delta and Kwara Speakers in the race.
Like Gbana, Speaker of Gombe State, Garba, The Source gathered is a third time law maker. He has been in the Assembly since 2003. He became the Deputy Speaker in 2007 and was elected Speaker in 2007 and re-elected again in 2011. Inuwa is not leaving any stone unturned to realise his ambition. He told The Source that his plans if elected chairman would include the actualising the financial autonomy of State legislatures, making the Conference a part of decision making body in Nigeria, placing the Conference on a pedestal of relevance, making it an agent of mediation and reconciliation between the Executive Arm of government and the Legislature in cases of rift, amongst other lofty objectives.
Meanwhile, the botched meeting of the Speakers has led to the dissolution of Gbana’s government and the constitution of six -man Caretaker Committee headed by Kano State Speaker, Yusuf Falgore. The configuration of the Committee, reflects the six geo-political zones of the country. Besides this, there was also another six man Committee set up to tinker with the Constitution of the Conference as most members alleged that the current one severely parades avalanche of clauses and lacunas that give undue advantage to the incumbent. The Committee has three months to conduct the elections.
Addressing Journalists at the end of the meeting, Falgore said, “After all procedures, we decided to set up a Caretaker to run the election. The Committee is given three months to conduct election. The Committee comprises the six geo-political zones with everybody having a member in the Committee.