10th Assembly: My Murder Trial Immaterial, It’s My Turn To Be Speaker – House Leader Doguwa Declares

Lawmaker representing Tundun Wada/Doguwa federal constituency of Kano State, Alhassan Doguwa has said his indictment in a murder case will not stop him from vying for speakership of the House of Representatives.

Doguwa officially declared for the office on Wednesday in Abuja where he was flanked by members of the House, including Hon. Miriam Onuoha from Imo State.

Miriam had declared her interest to contest for the position of the speaker a few weeks ago.

Recall Doguwa was indicted and arrested while fleeing to Abuja from Kano immediately after the conclusion of the National Assembly election on February 25.

The election was rescheduled and he was announced the winner again.

His indictment came after the burning of the party office of the New Nigeria People’s Democratic, his closest rival in the contest. Some persons were killed during the inferno.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmaker said, “I am a strong and committed party man and have stated it categorically clear in other fora that because of my absolute loyalty to the party, and my unflinching respect for party supremacy, my ambition will be predicated only on the condition that the party zones the speakership position to the Northwest Zone which is my immediate constituency.

“I have realised that it is necessary to heed the call of the people who believe in my capacity to seek the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. I am committed to working with my colleagues and all Nigerians to deliver on their expectations and to preside over the house to the best of my ability in the overall interest of the people.

“I have paid my dues; it is time to reward my stewardship to both the parliament and the nation,” he stated.

He explained that, “In 2011-2015, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had a majority in the house and controlled the leadership in that dispensation while Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila was nominated by the Southwest Caucus as their Minority Leader.

“From 2015-2019 when our party the All-Progressive Congress APC had a majority in the house, it was only natural that the minority leader would transition to Majority Leadership position.

“If you will recall then, the moment this convention was proposed, I personally agreed to step down from the Majority Leader position which I was earlier tipped for and settled for the Chief Whip position to give room for Rt. Hon Femi Gbajiabiamila to assume the position of Majority Leader.

“Fast forward to 2019-2023 9th Assembly, in keeping faith with the convention of the house, when the Speakership position was zoned to the Southwest, it was only natural that my brother and good friend Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila the then Majority Leader was the only one adopted for the Speakership position, the rest is now history,” he argued.

He promised to “leave no stone unturned to galvanise the support of the House to ensure the actualization of the laudable programs and policies of the President-Elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration.

“I plead with my colleagues from the zone to extend to me as a privilege not by right but the same Gbajabiamila treatment because as the saying goes, “what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.

“Let me borrow the humble example of our President-elect, Senator Tinubu, that emilokan. It is my turn this time around”.

Justifying the Muslim-Muslim ticket of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shetima who have been elected as president and vice president, the controversial lawmaker said, “I think the Muslim Muslim ticket of the Bola Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima was like a litmus test. And I think it’s a positive test. It has tested Nigerians and we have now confirmed that Nigerians will only go by what we think is the best and in the best interest of the people.

“But I still want to say that I believe in the peaceful coexistence of our people, left right and centre. I believe in our unity despite our diversity. I believe that no one can do it alone without the other. So when I’m elected the Speaker of the House of Representatives, I will be a speaker for the Muslims and the Christians. I’ll be the speaker for even those who are not Christians and not Muslims.

“I want to assure Nigerians they will have in me just a Nigerian that will look after the overall interest of our people and to the best of my ability. I thank you all for finding time to be here”.

He described himself as “a low level person, humble. I am a low level Nigerian and I will always present myself as such.

“For those who refer to me as a high level, temperamental person, I want to say, by my judgement, my standard, that they mis-perceived the man who has four wives and 28 kids in his house, and I’ve never had a divorce anyone. It is only a mistaken misperception.

“It can only be a misperception, or an oversight, or lack of proper comprehension if anybody of my disposition, of my social stature.

“I want to say clearly at this point that the principle of presumption of innocence until one is proven guilty covers me and it does not stop me whatsoever to vie for a position that I know is eminently qualified to vie for.

“But one political point I must stress is that a guilty man who is charged for a case like this would not have gone for a supplementary election and won the way and manner won this rerun,” he argued.