Re: Gbajabiamila Shuns INEC’s Certificate Of Return

Senatorial seat and tenure should not be occupied for more than two tenures of eight years, like presidential seat” —Adesanya-Davies

“Law making positions whether at the upper or lower chamber should be on part time basis”—Adesanya-Davies

“Lawmakers over earn too much and their salaries and allowances should also be reviewed downwards”—Adesanya-Davies

The Presidential Candidate of Mass Action Joint Alliance MAJA in the 2019 election, Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies has opined that Senatorial seat and tenure should not be occupied for more than  two tenures of eight years, like presidential seat.

Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila was reported on March 9, 2023 to have shunned INEC’s Certificate of Return; Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies is of the opinion that Senatorial seat and tenure should not be occupied for more than a two term tenure of eight (8) years, like presidential seat.

‘Why be a Senator in 20 years in a country of over 200 Million population, with ability and brains. Is the seat a family affair? Senatorial seat and position is unlike a permanent pensionable job, and should not be treated as such, she asserts and admonishes.”

May I ask, “Could this be why so many of them are not dutiful, and don’t function well while occupying the position and even they don’t do any other job to earn a living apart from politics?” Law making positions whether at the upper or lower chamber should even be on part time basis. They over earn too much and their salaries and allowances should also be reviewed downwards.

We also know that a Senator could become a President, Vice President, Governor, Deputy Governor or a Minister of the Government of the Federation or a Commissioner of the Government of a State or a Special Adviser.

The Constitution prescribes that the senator’s term of office is six years and approximately one-third of the total membership of the Senate is elected every two years in the US.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, was conspicuously absent at the International Conference Centre (ICC) Abuja venue of the presentation of Certificates of Return to Members-elect of the House of Representatives, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday.

Gbajabiamila was reelected to represent his Surulere 1 federal constituency of Lagos State for the 6th consecutive time during the just-concluded February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.

Certificate Of Return
He polled 19,717 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Bosun Jeje of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 5,121 votes.

However, news gathered that the Speaker may eventually not represent his constituency in the 10th National Assembly as he is likely to be considered for the position of Chief of Staff (CoS) to the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the incoming new government.

A source close to Gbajabiamila said that the Speaker, being one of Tinubu’s core loyalists and proteges and having worked with politicians from every federal constituency in Nigeria in the last 20 years, is more likely to be considered for the plum job.

When asked if Gbajabiamila will abandon his fresh mandate for the Chief of Staff appointment in Tinubu government, the source said, “That is what we are hearing. If you notice, he didn’t come for his certificate of return on Wednesday. The truth is that he doesn’t need that certificate, he has everything to function optimally as Chief of Staff to the President in the new government. He has worked with politicians in every federal constituency and across political divides in the last 20 years.”

When contacted, the Special Adviser to Speaker Gbajabiamila on media and publicity, Mr Lanre Lasisi, who confirmed that his principal was unable to attend the presentation of certificates of return ceremony, however, declined further comment on the matter. “He was just not able to be in Abuja for the ceremony,” Lasisi said.

Gbajabiamila was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2003. Since then, he has won elections in the subsequent five election cycles. During his 20-year sojourn in the House of Representatives, Gbajabiamila served as Minority Whip, Minority Leader, and Majority Leader before he was elected Speaker of the House in 2019.

In another development, in the recently concluded election, Kingibe’s wife, Ireti has sacked Aduda from Senate after 12 years. The FCT senatorial candidate of the Labour Party, Ireti Kingibe, has been declared winner of the election.

“She garnered 202,175 votes to defeat Philip Aduda of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who had occupied the seat since 2011. Aduda polled 100,544 votes to come second in the race while Angulu Dobi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) placed third with 78,905 votes

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer, Professor Sanni Saka of the University of Abuja, announced the result on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that Kingibe, who is the wife of one-time Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babagana Kingibe, scored 202,175 votes to emerge winner.

Adesanya-Davies concludes, ” It’s high time power began to change hands in the upper and lower chambers in Nigeria and anyone who refuses to perform should equally be flushed out!”

Read More
https://naijanewshouse.com/certificate-of-return/