Voting commences for election of Reps Speaker

Members of the House of Representatives have commenced voting for the election of the Speaker of the House towards the inauguration of the Lower Chamber of the Ninth National Assembly.

In the proceedings monitored by National Daily from Lagos, the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, 356 members of the House of the 360 members of the House would be participating in the voting process.

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Two candidates were nominated for the election of the Speaker. They include former House Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila from Lagos State, and Umar Mohammed Bago from Niger State. Both candidates are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Interestingly, while both contenders were nominated by APC members, their nominations were both seconded by PDP members.

The same electoral process in the senate is being adopted for the election in the House of Representatives. Unlike the senate where the senate president was elected by simple majority, the rule shifts a little in the Lower Chamber, the Speaker must be elected by at least one third of the members.

Meanwhile, voting is in progress.

Details later.