As the race for the House of Reps top job gets sweatier, main contestant and House Leader Femi Gbajabiamila has made a surprise leap by winning the heart of one its rivals within the APC—Hon. Ahmed Wase.
Wase had come up recently with his emphasis on the constitution, especially the aspect on federal character, to mass up a growing support base of lawmakers who believed the southwest should not take the vice presidency and the Speakership together.
His rising popularity threatened the chances of the party’s candidate Gbajabiamila, and the APC had to bring Wase to heel by offering him the deputy-Speaker’s position.
Now with the Gbajabiamila-Wase ticket, the race will have become something of a ball for the House leader—but for this catch: a Muslim-Muslim candidacy.
The opposition and other contestants from the majority party are saying it’s not proper for the first-two honourables to be of the same faith.
Most things in Nigeria are defined by ethnicity and religion.
But Gbajabiamila’s supporters insist this won’t be the first time an ethnic group or a particular religion will be taking more than one topmost jobs in government.
According to them, Namadi Sambo was vice president in 2011 while Aminu Tambuwal was Speaker. Both come from the northwest. Then Goodluck Jonathan was president while David Mark was Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu was his deputy, and Victor Ndoma-Egba, majority leader. All of them are Christians.
Since religion has now been weaponised to destroy his ambition, Gbajabiamila has taken to town, visiting religious leaders across the nation to gather their sympathy.
He has already visited Kano Emir Mohammed Sanusi.
As of last head-count, before the latest move, 178 reps-elect had queued behind Gbajabiamila. As Wase’s followers join the line, the majority leader has safely cornered more than half of the 360-member lower house.
He might as well be home and dry when the election comes.