SPEAKER BANKOLE: BETWEEN THE SOUTHEAST AND NORTHWEST MODEL
Sometimes in December 2007, shortly after the election of Rt. Hon. Dimeji
Bankole as the Speaker of House of Representatives, I wrote an
advisory/analytical piece on the raging debate on the import of the
Speaker and the Board of Trustees Chairman of PDP coming from Ogun State.
Among other observations inclusive of the fact that nothing makes the two
positions mutually exclusive constitutionally, I had concluded that with
the change of baton, similar to the change from Salisu Buhari to Rt. Hon.
Ghali Umar Na’aba, the House is set for another era of ‘stable’ leadership
in the tradition of Na’aba and Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari.
Indeed I had stated specifically in the published piece that based on the
political sagacity of the Southwest people where the position of Speaker
was zoned to and with the election a representative with the
qualifications and pedigree of Rt. Hon. Bankole, a stable leadership is
almost a foregone conclusion. In particular I had foreclosed what I called“igbonisation” as happened when the Southeast were at the helm of affairs
in the other chamber of the National Assembly from 1999-2007. Then, the
position was occupied in rotation by all states in the zone. Recall that
in succession the Senate President has gone round Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi,
Abia and finally Enugu state. In some quarters, it is believed that this
rotation of leadership within the zone negatively impacted on the power
calculus of the Southeast during the period and went further to deepen the
perceived and real marginalization of the Igbos in the scheme of things in
Nigeria.
But beyond the geo-political zonal calculation, there is equally the
deleterious effect on institution and capacity building for the
legislative arm of government. Of course, we cannot put the whole blame
for the various leadership changes at the Senate on the South Easterners
as the executive then played a prominent role in some of the changes that
were not resultant of dissolution of the legislative arm. Understandably
our executive arm of government, in view of its historical stability and
continuity has more institutional and capacity muscles over the
legislature. And in general, in our democracy, we have had more stability
at the executive arm of government at all levels than legislature which
contrast sharply with the trend in advance democracies particularly USA.
It was in this light that one had looked forward for stable leadership for
the House of Representatives following the election of Rt. Hon. Bankole on
the platform of integrity, accountability and good governance. One had
look forward to a situation of stable leadership that would impact
positively not only on the Southwest but also on our democracy and
national development.
Was this optimism justified in a House of 360 members of equal status
albeit with constricting zonal arrangement for its leadership? Well,
justification is found in the bitter, even lethal struggle that led to the
enthronement of a leadership on the basis of integrity, accountability,
anti-corruption and good governance. After such a hard-won victory, it is
inconceivable that the House or majority of its members would contemplate
being thrown into another leadership crisis in its own corporate interest
and standing in the eyes of the public. This assertion is plausible
particularly when the new leadership of the House led by Rt. Hon. Bankole
has not only demonstrated faithfulness to the forces and issues that threw
it up but had gone further to achieve some pioneering feats in the area of
law-making viz appropriation, oversight and even institution building in
enacting new rules and creation of new House’s Committees as part of our
democratic development.
Of course justification is also to be found in the personals attributes of
Rt. Hon. Bankole in terms of his antecedents, educational attainment and
experience in legislative matter. Bankole with his Ivy League education
that tee off from the famous Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta to such
renowned tertiary institutions as Oxford University and Harvard
University, is not one of the usual runoff the mill politicians with
either suspect educational qualifications or some who cannot justify their
learning in their activities. Coincidentally, most of the members of this
House share similar educational background and attainment with Rt. Hon.
Bankole which is amply demonstrated during debates at plenary. So they are
in position to appreciate the value of stable leadership in the corporate
interest of the House particularly when the zonal arrangement ruled out
those not from southwest and when there are no cogent reasons for change.
In any case, there are precedents for such stable leadership in the tenure
of Na’aba and Masari from the Northwest zone. It is not that there were no
attempts at changing the leadership under these two leaders but any such
attempt failed to yield result based mostly on the political foresight of
the people of the zone that produced the speakers and the advantages of
stable leadership sold to and accepted by majority of the members.
Would the Southwest follow the model of the Northwest in maintaining a
stable leadership of the “Green Chamber” or ape the Southeast in
fragmented leadership as happened in the “Red Chamber”? As I wrote
earlier, the Yorubas of the Southwest can be credited with astute
political thinking and tradition that will prevent them engaging in acts
detrimental to their position in the power equation of Nigeria ,
particularly when the present leadership of Rt. Hon. Bankole is not only
living up to expectation of members of the House but also the nation.
Indeed, Bankole has so far conducted the affairs of the House in most
enlighten and politically correct manner to the admiration of not only
Nigerians but interested foreign observers of our democracy.
He has also ensured that he remained faithful to the issues that threw up
his leadership namely; integrity, transparency, anti-corruption and good
governance. There has been no financial scandal or other unethical
practice linked and proven against his leadership of the House and he
continue to sacrifice and work under less than optimum condition as he is
still accommodated in his sparsely three bedroom personal apartment!
It was therefore surprising when in the month of June, an uprising of sort
by some members from the southwest and elsewhere attempted clandestinely
to upstage an envisaged stable leadership of Bankole based on
misinformation or partial information as well as selfish interest. Well,
on such tenuous grounds and the conditions in favour of stable leadership
adumbrated earlier the move faltered with a resounding vote of confidence
on Bankole leadership by an overwhelming majority of members inclusive of
those of Southwest.
Obviously in a House of 360 members from across Nigeria, disagreements are
bound to exist to be resolved or managed but it is disappointing when the
impression is given that any disagreement is an indication of attempt to“Igbonise” the Speaker’s position or the infamous “banana peel”. As it is,
one believe the Yorubas are not going to take kindly to any manipulation
using their sons and daughters to undermine their political representation
at the highest level allotted them in the federation. Interestingly,
however, Bankole enjoy the support of most of the members spread across
all the geo-political zones with the effect that manipulative attempts in
one zone inclusive of Southwest have to take into cognizance, the majority
from other zones in support of Bankole. As it is, the prediction of stable
leadership for the House of Representatives seems assured, disagreements
not withstanding.
By: Kayode Odunaro
Chief Kayode Odunaro,
Special Adviser (Communications) to Speaker,
House of Representative