Controversy is trailing the emergence of the Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Garba Inuwa, as the chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria.
While a section of the members of the CSSLN said Inuwa emerged as a consensus candidate, others said his emergence was not democratic.
Inuwa was pronounced the winner of the election during a closed doors election held at the Sharon Ultimate Hotel, Garki, Abuja on Thursday.
The controversy trailing the election started with the change of venue of the meeting of the speakers to Sharon Ultimate Hotel from the secretariat of the Conference in Gwarimpa, Abuja.
No reason was adduced for this.
But the speakers had all arrived at the initial venue before they were asked to move to the new venue.
After the election, the Speaker Of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salam, said it was unanimously decided Inuwa should be the chairman of the body.
This would, ordinarily, indicate that other candidates for the position stepped down for him.
The other candidates for the position were a former Chairman of the body and the Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Istafanus Gbana; the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei; and the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Razak Bolaji Atunwa.
But the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Beverly Ikpeazu, said Inuwa’s emergence not unanimous.
Ikpeazu said: “How can any one say it was an unanimous election when the winner scored 18 votes to emerge?
“It was not an unanimous election.”
Inuwa, however, described his election as the freest election he has witnessed and participated in his life.
He expressed gratitude to God and his colleagues for giving him the opportunity to serve, adding: “This is the most free and fair election I have witnessed and participated in my life. I thank God and my colleagues for electing me.”
The Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, was the pioneer chairman of the conference.