Politics
Reps Jostle For ‘Juicy’ Appointments As Abbas Unveils Committees, July 27
House of Representatives lawmakers in the 10th Assembly are said to have begun jostling for juicy positions ahead of the July 27 unveiling of House committees.
Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, is to unveil committees and their chairmen to run the legislative agenda of the 10th Assembly on July 27.
There has been intense lobbying by lawmakers to chair what they described as “juicy committees”.
Some of the juicy committees include: Appropriation, Army, Defence, Navy, FCT, Finance, Public, Air Force, Police Affairs, Niger Delta Development Commission among others.
Mr Abbas had on June 15, two days after his emergence as Speaker, announced the constitution of seven special committees.
The committees include: Internal Security Committee, Selection Committee, the Media Committee, Legislative Agenda, Rules and Business, Welfare and Ethics and Privileges Committee.
Some of the lawmakers who were appointed into the special committees are also lobbying to get more juicy committees.
Khadijat Buka-Abba, who heads the ad hoc committee on Media and Publicity, said she would not want to come back as the chairman on Media and Publicity when the Speaker finally unveils the standing committees.
She said this while holding an interactive session with the House of Reps press corps at her residence in Abuja.
This may, however, not be unconnected with her experience in 2019 when she chaired the same Media and Publicity Committee.
Speaking on the announcement of the Committees, a source who does not want his name mentioned, said the Speaker would officially announce the names of committees and their chairmen on July 27.
In his words; “The committees will come out on July 27, that is when the Speaker will announce the committees.”
In a related development, the lawmakers are bracing up to receive their official cars that would enable them carry out their legislative work and oversight functions.
Also, members are to receive their official cars once the standing committees are constituted.
Speaking about the development, a lawmaker who sought to be anonymous, said the cars when they finally arrive would be for committee work.
“Every member belongs to a committee, so those are official cars, those are cars the committees will use to work for oversight.
“There is a lot of digging the media needs to do because at the end of the term, we pay for these cars. Most times, if you want you pay, you buy on auction, and if you don’t want you return the cars.”
The lawmaker said contrary to insinuation, “we pay for some of these items, when they brought the invoice for me I rejected some of the items because there are things I don’t need.”
There are currently 57 standing committees in the Nigerian Senate, while the House of Representatives currently has 89 standing committees.
The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, says he would not help President Bola Tinubu’s administration to correct the administration’s policies affecting the citizens.
Emir Sanusi spoke on Wednesday in Lagos as the chairman of the 21st Anniversary of Fawehinmiism (Gani Fawehinmi Annual Lecture 2025).
The emir stated that while there were “a few points” he could offer to explain the trajectory the administration had taken and how such decisions were predictable, he chose not to do so because “they don’t behave like friends.”
He said explaining the government’s policies would help the government, but he did not intend to assist them due to the way they had treated him.
“I can give a few points that are contrary, that explain perhaps what we’re going through and how it was totally predictable, most of it, and maybe avoidable. But I am not going to do that.
“I have chosen not to speak about the economy or the reforms or to even explain anything because if I explain, it would help this government, but I don’t want to help this government,” the emir said while addressing some of the points made by speakers about the economy.
He added: “You know they’re my friends, but if they don’t behave like friends, I don’t behave like a friend. So I watch them being stooges. And they don’t even have people with credibility who can come and explain what they are doing. I am not going to help. I started out helping, but I am not going to help. I am not going to discuss it. Let them come and explain to Nigerians why the policies that are being pursued are being pursued.
“Meanwhile, I’m watching a very nice movie with popcorn in my hands. But I will say one thing: What we are going through today is, at least in part, not totally, but at least in part, a necessary consequence of decades of irresponsible economic management.
“People were told decades ago that if you continue along this path, this is where you’re going to end up, and they refused to open their eyes. Now, is everything being done today correct? No.”
Emir Sanusi, who was deposed as the 14th Emir of Kano in 2020 by then-Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the current national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was reinstated as the 16th Emir of Kano in 2024 by the New Nigeria People’s Party-led Kano State Government.
His emirship has faced ongoing challenges from forces believed to be backed by the federal government, including federal officials’ continued recognition of his predecessor, Emir Aminu Ado Bayero.
Last month, the police barricaded his palace, with the state government accusing the federal government of orchestrating the action to stir unrest in the peaceful state.
The Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Oriyomi Onanuga, is dead.
Also known as Ijaya, Rt Hon. Onanuga, who was the member representing Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency, is said to have died following a brief illness.
This was confirmed in a tweet on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the House of Representatives, on Wednesday night.
Rt Hon Onanuga, who was born in Hammersmith, London, to Nigerian parents on December 2, 1965, was a politician and entrepreneur. She held the position of Deputy Chief Whip in the Nigerian House of Representatives since 2023.
She contested and won a seat in the House of Representatives under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019. She also served as the Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development.
Gov. Aiyedatiwa, however, exempted two members of the cabinet from the dissolution due to the critical nature of their duties.
The two commissioners exempted include the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo, SAN, and the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac.
This was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
Mr Adeniyan said in the statement that “All the affected cabinet members are to hand over all government properties in their care to the accounting officers of their respective ministries.
Gov. Aiyedatiwa thanked the executive council members “for their service and contributions to the development of Ondo State under his administration and wished them well in their future endeavours”.
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