Gbajabiamila is new Speaker of the House of Representatives

Femi Gbajabiamila has been elected the Speaker of the House of Representatives during the inaugural session of the National Assembly on Tuesday, June 11, 2019.

The representative of Surulere I federal constituency of Lagos State defeated his rival, Mohammed Bago, representative of Chanchaga federal constituency of Niger State, in a closed ballot election.

Of all 358 lawmakers who voted on Tuesday, 281 voted for Gbajabiamila to make him the number four citizen in the country, while Bago finished with 76 votes. One vote was declared invalid.

Ahmed Wase, representative of Wase federal constituency of Plateau State, was elected the Deputy Speaker as his nomination was unopposed by all members present.

Gbajabiamila and Wase were promptly sworn into office before the swearing in of all the other members present in the Green chamber.

Gbajabiamila, a lawyer, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2003 and has been re-elected in 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019.

The 56-year-old lost his bid to become Speaker in 2015 when he lost to Yakubu Dogara, serving instead as House Majority Leader.

He has previously served as Minority Whip of the House and Minority Leader at different times during his stints in the lower chamber of the National Assembly.