By Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has revealed his intention to retain his position despite being appointed as the new Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
President Tinubu made the official announcement of Gbajabiamila’s appointment on Friday, June 2, 2023.
Alongside Gbajabiamila, the President also appointed Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, a former Deputy Governor of Jigawa State, as Deputy Chief of Staff, and George Akume, a former Minister of Special Duties, as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Following Gbajabiamila’s confirmation as the new Chief of Staff, it was speculated that he would need to resign from his position in the House to create an opportunity for another lawmaker to assume the role until the current 9th House’s tenure concludes on June 11.
Although there were indications that his deputy, Idris Wase, would take over in the event of his resignation, this scenario may not materialize since they were not elected on a single ticket into the lower chamber.
Consequently, the House may need to elect a speaker pro tempore to oversee its affairs until it concludes its activities on June 11.
However, Gbajabiamila expressed gratitude to the President for selecting him as his Chief of Staff and revealed that his resumption date is scheduled for June 14, 2023. This suggests that he may not be required to resign from his current position as Speaker.
Gbajabiamila succinctly conveyed his thoughts through a Twitter statement, stating, “Thank you, Mr. President, for finding me worthy of being your Chief of Staff. Having spent the last 20 years in the Nigerian Parliament and winning my 6th term election into the National Assembly, I shall work with Mr. President in discharging the enormous task ahead of him for the peace and progress of the federal republic of Nigeria. I shall give my best when I take office on June 14, 2023, as reflected in Mr. President’s official letter.”
