Rating members of the Home of Representatives from the southwest geopolitical zone have began lobbying for the Home Deputy Chief Whip place.
The workplace turned vacant because of the loss of life of the final occupant, Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga, on January 15, 2025, who, till her demise, represented Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency of Ogun state.
In a press release saying her demise, the Home Spokesperson, Hon. Akin Rotimi, stated Onanuga, born on December 2, 1965, was a devoted public servant, a visionary chief, and a passionate advocate for her constituents.
“She was first elected to the Home in 2019 on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform.
Throughout that tenure, she served as Chairperson of the Home Committee on Ladies Affairs and Social Improvement within the ninth Meeting, the place she championed insurance policies to empower ladies and advance social welfare.
“Re-elected in 2023, she was appointed Deputy Chief Whip of the tenth Meeting, a task by which she demonstrated distinctive management and unwavering dedication to legislative self-discipline, significantly throughout parliamentary sittings,” the assertion reads.
Deputy Benjamin Kalu led a high-powered delegation of the Home on January 17, on behalf of Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, on a condolence go to to the deceased’s hometown in Sagamu, Ogun State, the place he stated Onanuga was irreplaceable.
The unhappy occasion occurred a day after the Home adjourned plenary on January 14 to allow lawmakers to work on the 2025 funds presently earlier than the Nationwide Meeting.
Thus, because the Home resumes plenary on Tuesday, February 4, 2024, LEADERSHIP gathered that rating lawmakers from the southwest zone, the place the late Onanuga hailed from, are shifting to occupy the principal place.
Within the present Home management, the presiding officers, Speaker Abbas and Deputy Speaker Kalu, are from the North-west and South-east, respectively; the Majority Chief, Julius Ihonvbere, is from Edo (South-south); and the Chief Whip, Hon.
Bello Kumo is from Gombe (northeast), and Deputy Majority Chief Halims Abdullahi–Kogi (North-central).
Additionally, the Minority Chief, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, is from Rivers (South-south); Minority Whip, Hon.
Ali Isah is from Gombe(North-east), Deputy Minority Chief); Deputy Minority Chief, Hon. Aliyu Madaki, is from Kano (North-west), whereas the Deputy Minority Whip, George Ozodinobi – Anambra (South-east).
Consequently, the southwest geopolitical zone, which is considerably managed by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and has many Home members, has no principal officer.
Credible sources stated these within the race to fill the void embrace the South-west caucus chairman, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke (APC, Lagos), Hon. Babajmi Benson (APC, Lagos), Hon. Ogbara Kafilat (APC, Lagos), Hon. Wale Raji (APC, Lagos), Hon. Kuye Ademorin Aliyu(APC, Lagos) and Hon. Isiaka Ayokunle Ibrahim (APC, Ogun).
Others are Hon. Tolupe Akande-Sadipe (APC, Oyo), Hon. Akin Alabi(APC, Oyo), Hon. Olajide Adedeji Stanley(APC, Oyo). Hon Peter Abiola Makinde(APC, Ondo), Hon. Timehin Adelegbe (APC, Ondo) Derin Adesida (APC, Ondo).
Pundits contended that the permutations are closing in on Hon. Faleke, Hon. Benson, Hon. Kafilat, Hon. Akande-Sadipe, Hon. Isiaka and Hon. Alabi.
They argued that Faleke and Benson, each from Lagos, are within the good books of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Chief of Workers, former Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, who’re essential in figuring out who will occupy the vacant place.
In line with them, Kafilat and Akande-Sadipe from Lagos and Oyo, respectively, are favoured by the consideration of gender sensitivity because the deceased occupant of the place was the one feminine principal officer within the tenth Meeting. In distinction, the percentages favour Isiaka, contemplating that he’s from Ogun, similar to the late Onanuga, and Alabi, who chairs the all-important Home Committee on Works, has age to his benefit.
“The race for who turns into the subsequent Home of Representatives Deputy Chief Whip, which turned vacant following the loss of life of Hon.Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga on January 15, 2025, has begun. Many individuals are talked about within the highest quarters that curiosity them within the slot.
“However those that are the arrowheads within the race are the chairman of the Home Committee on Finance, Hon. James Faleke; the chairman of the Home Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson; the chairman of the Home Committee on Ladies Affairs, Hon. Ogbara Kafilat – all from Lagos. The opposite ones are Hon. Tolupe Akande-Sadipe, Hon Isiaka Ayokunle Ibrahim and Hon. Akin Alabi.
“There are seen components why the race is closing in on them. Faleke and Benson are within the good books of the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Chief of Workers, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. These are the individuals who make the ultimate choice on the matter.
“For Kafilat and Akande-Sadipe, they’re being favoured by the difficulty of gender as a result of they’re ladies, and that workplace was final held by a lady who occurred to be the one feminine principal officer in the entire of the tenth Nationwide Meeting. Hon. Isiaka is from an Ogun state just like the late Onanuga, whereas Akin Alabi remains to be younger, and youths are clamouring for management positions.
“You’ll recall that Akande-Sadipe had declared the intention to vie for deputy speaker of the Home of Representatives if the place was to be zoned to the South-west by APC within the build-up to the inauguration of the tenth Nationwide Meeting in 2023,” an insider instructed LEADERSHIP on the situation of anonymity.
