Speaker Swears in 12 New Reps, APC Widens Majority

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas has sworn in 12 of the 15 members-elect presented certificates of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday.

The 12 new members won last Saturday’s bye elections and court ordered rerun elections to fill vacant seats in the House of Representatives.

The inauguration was witnessed by Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who recently decamped from the Young Progressive Party(YPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in solidarity with the YPP members.

Four political parties (APC, PDP, YPP and LP) won the rerun and bye elections while the elections into Jalingo/Yorro/Sing Federal constituency of Taraba state and Udenu Federal constituency of Enugu state are still outstanding.

The other three members who have collected their certificates of return from INEC will be inaugurated at a later date.

The Speaker presented the new members copies of the House standing rules and the Legislative Agenda.

With the new development, APC now have about 188 members to maintain its majority status in the House.

Those who collected their certificates of return are: Umar Garba (Ngaski/Shanta/Yauri Federal constituency of Kebbi-APC); Ifeoluwa Ehindero (AKoko North East/North West of Ondo-APC);

Faud Kayode Laguda (Suru Lere 1 federal constituency of Lagos- APC) and Saleh Gabriel Zock (Kachia/Kangaroo federal constituency of Kaduna -APC).

Others were: Daniel Asama Ago (Jos North/Bases federal constituency of Plateau-LP); Rabiu Kamba (Arewa/Dandi federal constituency of Kebbi- APC); Emma Ukpong Udo (Ikono/Ini federal constituency of Akwa Ibom YPP); Dr. Emil Inyang (Akamkpa/Biase Federal constituency of Cross River- APC) and Peter Uzokwe (Nnewi North/Nnewi South federal constituency of Anambra YPP).

The rest are Chinwe Nnabuife Orumba North/Orumba South federal constituency of Anambra- YPP); Adamu Yakubu (Birnin Kudu/Buji federal constituency of Jigawa-PDP); Yusuf Umar Yabo (Yabo/Shagari federal constituency of Sokoto-PDP);

Husseini Jallo (Igabi Federal. Constituency of Kaduna-PDP); Yusuf Dalhat Tafoki (Faskari/Kankara/Sabuwa of Katsina APC) and Mohammed Buba Jajere (Fune/Fune federal constituency of Yobe-PDP).