The lawmaker representing Zaria Federal constituency, Tajudeen Abbas, has emerged Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Benjamin Kalu, representing Bende Federal constituency, Abia State, was also elected Deputy Speaker unopposed.
Abbas, the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives on Tuesday, June 13 after flooring his opponents.
Abbas polled 353 votes to defeat fellow contenders, Ahmed Wase and Sani Jaji, who polled three votes each.
The election followed voting by the 359 members-elect of the 10th session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, June 13.
The immediate past Majority Leader of the 9th Assembly, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, made the first nomination.
The ICIR had reported that 11 lawmakers were showing interest for the seat of the Speaker.
The contestants were the immediate Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase; the immediate past Majority Leader, Ado Doguwa; Muktar Betara, Yusuf Gagdi, Sada Soli, Miriam Onuoha, Ben Kalu, Tajudeen Abbas, Abdulraheem Olawuyi, Abubakar Makki, and Aminu Jaji.
However, Betara, Kalu, Olawuyi, Makki, Gagdi and Doguwa stepped down, leaving only five candidates in the race.
Adoption of open ballot election for the 1st time
The election was a no-secret ballot system, for the first time.
The change allowed every member to take turn and vote for his/her preferred candidate in the open.
The new amendment to Order Two reads, “Every member voting shall name clearly and in the Open the candidate of his choice.”