The Chairman, House Committee on Navy, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi has joined the race for the Speakership of the tenth House of Representatives.
Although the All Progressives Congress (APC) is yet to formally announce the zoning of the speakership position and other presiding and principal offices for the incoming 10th House of Representatives, more lawmakers have indicated interest to take over Femi Gbajabiamila’s seat in the Green Chamber of the National Assembly.
Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gadji, lawmaker representing Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke federal constituency and the current chairman of the House Committee on Navy is one of the ranking members interested in becoming the Speaker of the 10th House.
Hon. Gagdi was deputy in the Plateau State Assembly where he represented Kantana Constituency of Kanam local government area in 2015, elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. He later decamped to the All Progressives Party, APC and was elected to the Federal House of Representatives in 2019.
Hon Gadji was one of the key players in the emergence of Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and his deputy Idris Wase in 2019.
He is one of those presently clamouring hard to see that the speakership slot will be zoned to the north central to enable him formally declare his interest when the House resumes for plenary session next week Tuesday.
Born on November 5, 1980, the 42 year lawmaker had served in various other capacities before his present position which included Legislative Aide to Deputy Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly between 2003 and 2006; member of Plateau State Library Board 2012- 2014 and Chairman of Federal Board, Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority (LBRBDA Makurdi 2012 – 2014; Chairman of Special Committee on peace, security and reconciliation Plateau State 2015; Chairman Special Committee on Peace, Security and Reconciliation Plateau State 2018 and as well as Financial Secretary of PDP Plateau State 2012 – 2014.
Other lawmakers in the race included Hon. Aliyu Betara representing Biu/Kwaya federal constituency of Borno State; Aminu Sani Jaji, a former chairman of the House of Representatives committee on National Security and intelligence in the 8th Assembly who has been re-elected to represent Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji federal constituency of Zamfara state; the current deputy speaker, Hon. Idris Wase from Plateau State; the current spokesman of the House, and Hon. Ben Kalu.
As the race for the number one position in the 10th House of Representatives begins to gain momentum, there are underground moves by re-elected lawmakers who are also referred to as “Ranking Members” to take the position of the number one person in the Green Chamber.
After the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections, members who have been re-elected into the 10 National Assembly and are eligible for the Speakership contest have started lobbying their colleagues secretly as they awaiting the commencement of a new legislative year in June 2023.
For now, the current Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase is positioning himself to take over from Gbajabiamila. He is from North Central but his records as deputy speaker may speak for him in the speakership race.
Another known figure is Hon Aliyu Betara, the current Chairman House Committee on Appropriation, a fifth timer from the North East who knows his way among lawmakers and definitely cannot be a pushover.
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