Ahmed Wase, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, has declared that he possesses all the necessary qualifications to ascend to the position of Speaker of the 10th Assembly. Wase made this announcement during his formal declaration to run for the Speakership in Abuja on Friday.
The lawmaker firmly stated that it was his turn to lead the House of Representatives and become the country’s fourth-ranking official. He highlighted his extensive experience, competence, and the significant sacrifices he had made for the House in the past.
As Wase outlined, “I was deputy to Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila as Minority Leader, and in 2015, I had over 75 percent endorsement to become a leader. But I was asked to step down, and I complied. In 2019, when I considered running for Speaker, the party leaders once again asked me to step down for Femi Gbajabiamila. Despite having the endorsement to proceed, I acquiesced, and we ran a joint campaign.”
Wase cited these instances as examples of his sacrifices and echoed the words of his leader, President-elect Sen. Bola Tinubu, saying, “’emilokan’- it is my turn.”
If elected as Speaker, Wase aims to concentrate on the general orientation and image rebranding of the National Assembly. He plans to create an efficient and innovative people’s parliament, approaching nation-building as a collective task regardless of differences.
It was also promised a strong and independent parliament, emphasizing the importance of law and order and robust legislative oversight. He also vowed to prioritize security, fiscal discipline, economic prosperity, and social welfare schemes and programs if elected Speaker.
