Reps: Doguwa, ex-chief whip, may emerge House Leader

TRACKING>>As the House of Representatives reconvene in plenary after the election of Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila on Tuesday, immediate past chief whip, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, may emerge as the new majority leader. Doguwa, a fourth term lawmaker from Kano State played active roles in the campaign for the election of Gbajabiamila and Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase. Sources close to the speaker said the choice of Doguwa was arrived at even before the election on Tuesday and he would be announced very soon. “The choice of Rt. Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa as the house leader is a done deal. Right now, the North- West has no representative as a presiding officer and he is the highest ranking honourable member in the APC outside the speaker and his deputy.

“So, naturally, he will step in as the majority leader. He is vibrant and very sociable and can organise the party well as house leader. We are all in his support. He will provide the needed verve the House needs at this time. “You can see that our party has regained its tradition and discipline, which made us unseat a ruling party in 2015.

Henceforth, things are going to be done procedurally.” According to the lawmaker, discussions were on-going for the composition of the body of principal officers from the ruling party. He revealed that most of the lawmakers that were in the race for the position of speaker may be given roles as principal officers. Although, he refused to elaborate on those likely to be appointed as principal officers, New Telegraph gathered from a source that the only female that contested for speakership position, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, may be made either chief whip or deputy whip. New Telegraph further learnt that Hon. John Dyegh, who pulled out of the race a few hours to the election and Hon. Yakub Buba, were also being considered for leadership roles