Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria

Last updated

Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Incumbent
Tajudeen Abbas
since 13 June 2023
Legislative Branch of the Federal Government
Style Mr Speaker (informal)
The Honourable (formal)
Member of Nigerian House of Representatives
National Assembly Commission
Seat National Assembly Complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja
AppointerIndirect House Election
Term length 4 years renewable
Constituting instrument Constitution of Nigeria
Inaugural holder Sir Frederic Metcalfe (Colonial)
Jaja Wachukwu (indigenous)
Formation12 January 1955;69 years ago (1955-01-12)
Succession Third
Deputy Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives

The speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the Federal House of Representatives of Nigeria, elected by its membership. The House Speaker is third in line of succession to the Nigerian Presidency, after the Vice President of Nigeria and the President of the Senate of Nigeria. The current House Speaker is Tajudeen Abbas who was elected Speaker of House of Representatives of Nigeria on 13 June 2023.

Contents

History

Sir Frederic Metcalfe of Great Britain became the first Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria after its inauguration on 12 January 1955 by John Macpherson. He was replaced by the first indigenous speaker, Jaja Wachuku, in 1959. As Speaker of the House, Wachuku received Nigeria's Instrument of Independence, also known as Freedom Charter, on 1 October 1960, from Princess Alexandra of Kent (Alexandra was Elizabeth II's representative at the Nigerian Independence ceremonies). Chaha Biam hails from Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State. He was elected to the House of Representative on the platform of NPN in the 1983 general elections and was elected as the Speaker of House of Representative in the short-lived second tenure of Alhaji Shehu Shagari, 1 October 1983 – 31 December 1983. Dimeji Bankole is the youngest Speaker in the history of the House of Representatives, elected at the age of 37. [1]

Selection and succession to presidency

The speaker is chosen in an indirect election conducted within the House of Representatives. The line of succession to the Nigerian presidency goes to the Vice President, and then the President of the Senate should both the President and Vice President be unable to discharge the powers and duties of office. [2] The Speaker of the House is the third in line of succession.

Office of the Speaker

The speaker is supported by their Chief of Staff

List of speakers

Federation and First Republic

SpeakerTerm of officePolitical partyElection
PortraitNameTook officeLeft office
Blank.jpg Sir Frederic Metcalfe 12 January 1955January 1959None 1954
JajaWachuku01.jpg Jaja Wachuku January 19591 October 1960 National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons 1959
Blank.jpg Ibrahim Jalo Waziri 1 October 196015 January 1966 Northern People's Congress 1964

Military Government

The House of Representatives did not sit in this time.

Second Republic

SpeakerTerm of officePolitical partyElection
PortraitNameTook officeLeft office
Blank.jpg Edwin Ume-Ezeoke 1 October 19791 October 1983 National Party of Nigeria 1979
Blank.jpg Benjamin Chaha 1 October 198331 December 1983 National Party of Nigeria 1983

Military Government

The House of Representatives did not sit in this time.

Third Republic

SpeakerTerm of officePolitical partyElection
PortraitNameTook officeLeft office
Blank.jpg Agunwa Anaekwe 5 December 199217 November 1993 Social Democratic Party 1992

Military Government

The House of Representatives did not sit in this time.

Fourth Republic

SpeakerTerm of officePolitical partyConstituencyElection
PortraitNameTook officeLeft office
Blank.jpg Salisu Buhari 3 June 199923 July 1999 People's Democratic Party 1999
Ghali Na'Abba at an interview with This Day Newspaper.jpg Ghali Umar Na'Abba 23 July 19993 June 2003 People's Democratic Party
Aminu B Masari.jpg Aminu Bello Masari 3 June 20035 June 2007 People's Democratic Party Malumfashi / Kafur,
Katsina
2003
Blank.jpg Patricia Etteh 5 June 200730 October 2007 People's Democratic Party Ayedaade / Irewole / Isokan,
Osun
2007
Oladimeji Sabur Bankole.jpg Dimeji Bankole 1 November 20076 June 2011 People's Democratic Party Abeokuta South,
Ogun
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (cropped).jpg Aminu Tambuwal 6 June 201129 May 2015 People's Democratic Party Kebbe / Tambuwal,
Sokoto
2011
3R3A5379 (cropped).jpg Yakubu Dogara 9 June 20159 June 2019 All Progressives Congress Bogoro/Dass
/Tafawa Balewa,
Bauchi
2015
Femi Gbajabiamila and a colleague (cropped).jpg Femi Gbajabiamila 11 June 201911 June 2023 All Progressives Congress Surulere I,
Lagos
2019
Tajudeen Abbas 13 June 2023Incumbent All Progressives Congress Zaria,
Kaduna
2023

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References

  1. "Nigeria Parliament Elects New Speaker Of The House". www.feedsyndicate.com. Archived from the original on 9 December 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  2. "Nigeria's Constitution of 1999 with Amendments through 2011" (PDF). Constitute Project. Retrieved 8 March 2022.