The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the Federal House of Representatives of Nigeria. Femi Gbajabiamila, was elected Speaker of House of Representatives of Nigeria on June 12th, 2019.
History
Sir Frederic Metcalfe of Great Britain became Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria in 1955. 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 October 1, 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, October 1, 1983 – December 31, 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 Speaker is third in line for succession to the Nigerian presidency, after the Vice President and President of the Senate.
List of Speakers
| Name | Term | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Frederic Metcalfe | 1955–1959 | |
| Jaja Wachuku | 1959–1960 | NCNC |
| Ibrahim Jalo Waziri | 1960–1966 | NPC |
| Edwin Ume-Ezeoke | 1979–1983 | NPN |
| Chaha Biam | 1983 | NPN |
| Salisu Buhari | 1999–2000 | PDP |
| Ghali Umar Na'Abba | 2000–2003 | PDP |
| Aminu Bello Masari | 2003–2007 | PDP |
| Patricia Etteh | 2007 | PDP |
| Dimeji Bankole | 2007–2011 | PDP |
| Aminu Waziri Tambuwal | 2011–2015 | PDP/APC |
| Yakubu Dogara | 2015–2019 | APC/PDP |
| Femi Gbajabiamila | 2019 | APC |
References
- Official website of the House of Representatives
- Assemblyonline, news agency on Nigeria's National Assembly