THE race for the speakership of the Eight House of Assembly in Lagos State has began. All the 20 returning members are eminently qualified to vie for the position as ranking members. But, providence seems to have paved the way for the current Deputy Whip of the House, Hon. Rotimi Abiru to emerge as the Speaker.
Of the six principal officers of the Seventh Assembly that is gradually winding down, Abiru, who is representing Shomolu II Constituency, is the only principal officer returning. He is already familiar with the inner workings of the leadership of the House.
Although Abiru is from Lagos East Senatorial District that produced the governor-elect, Akinwunmi Ambode, and may therefore have to contend with zoning, however, a ranking lawmaker in the House who does not want his name in print advised that zoning should be jettisoned for picking the new speaker.
This, according to him, is because, for the first time, the House is having the highest number of opposition lawmakers. He said: “The House needs a matured, experienced, intelligent and cool headed person to handle that position”. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won eight of the 40 seats in the House.
Eight might be a small number, compared to 32 APC members. But, the legislator said: “You never can know the stuff they are made of and that is why we need a speaker who knows his onion to be able to handle any unforeseen development and navigate every booby trap.”
Although APC still has more than two-third majority, which means it will not have any problem in pushing through its bills and resolutions, the new configuration is however significant because this is the first time since the inception of this democratic dispensation that opposition party is having as much as eight seats.
In the Sixth Assembly, the PDP was only able to secure three seats in the House, which later reduced to two when the then Minority Leader, Hon. Hodewu Suru Avoseh from Badagry II defected to the then Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. While there was only one PDP member in the 5th Assembly. In the current Assembly it is an all APC House.
Abiru who will be doing a third term by the next dispensation and the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo were the only serving principal officers that contested the last election, others like the Majority Leader, Hon. Ajibayo Adeyeye and Chief Whip, Abdulrazaq Balogun were defeated at the party primaries, while the Speaker, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji and Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Lola Akande did not signify any desire to come back
The Deputy Speaker, Taiwo who is the oldest serving lawmaker in the House was already positioned to take over the office of the speaker of the 8th Assembly but he was defeated by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in his Ajeromi-Ifelodun constituency last Saturday.
Taiwo is spending a fourth term and he would have come back for the fifth time, if he had won the House of Assembly election in his constituency last Saturday.
The current situation which was not envisaged by any one has throw up Abiru who already has been exposed to the nitty-gritty of leadership of the Assembly being part of the leadership structure in the House in the past four years.
Abiru started demonstrating qualities of a capable leader right from his first term as a lawmaker in the House and was nicknamed Barometer by his colleagues because he practically dictates the mood of the House at plenary and most times also dictates the direction of debate.
In his first term he was the Chairman, House committee on Water Front and Infrastructure while he was elevated to a principal officer as Deputy Whip in his second term, a position he currently occupies.
The lawmaker has an imposing figure which stands him out in any gathering and he is also a quiet and easy going individual. He stands out as a matured, composed, intelligent and very friendly person.
For a House that has enjoyed absolute harmony and tranquillity since the inception of the Fourth Republic, which has in turn contributed immensely to the people-friendly laws and resolutions that has impacted in no small measure on the overall development of the state as well as cordial relationship with the executive, the quality and character of the speaker of the House is very paramount because there is need to sustain that harmony for the betterment of the state and its citizens.
Like most of the returning lawmakers, Abiru has attended several training workshops and seminars locally and internationally on legislative processes and lawmaking and may not be easily rattled by any unforeseen situations in the House because of experience and the mature way he looks at issues. He is somebody who does not lose his cool easily; he is not temperamental. Among workshops and seminars he attended are those of the Leadership Institution Arlington Virginia, Harvard Kennedy School and the Judge Business School University of Cambridge.
He is a scion of the legal luminary, late Hon. Justice Mudashiru Akanbi Olatunji Abiru, who was also a distinguished Senator of the federal republic of Nigeria in the 3rd republic (1979).
Abiru holds a Masters Degree in Chemistry from University of Lagos, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from Lagos University, (LASU) Lagos. He attended Baptist Academy, Obanikoro for his Secondary Education.
Observers also say that what distinguishes him more is his humanity and ability to accommodate and relate to everybody regardless of age or status.
Many insiders see him as an embodiment of many sterling qualities. “He is humble, humane, honest, magnanimous, and simple. He is a politician with difference. In spite of his position and tight schedule, he is always ready to serve, ready to listen, ready to assist without complaints even when groaning under an obvious yoke”, said a legislative aide who craved anonymity.
He has been a member of the Lagos State House since 2007. “His contributions in the House and constituency are impressive, excellent and heartwarming. To those who know Hon. Abiru very well, nothing less is expected of him considering his family, educational, business and political background”, the legislative aide said.
He has positively touched the lives of many people especially the youths through his free computer training programme and other empowerment programmes he organises for his constituents at regular intervals all these years, and also giving further assistance to those with excellent results.
Born into the Abiru family of Ikorodu, a family that prides itself with brilliant and successful sons and daughters in all professions, he is a shrewd businessman and politician.
Before coming to the House he was the Supervisory Councillor for Agriculture, Rural Development, Sports and Youth Development in Bariga LCDA and in 2005 he led Bariga.