Gbajabiamila leads delegation of 50 members of the House of Reps on lesser hajj to Saudi Arabia

HOUSE of Representatives majority leader Hon Femi Gbajabiamila has led a delegation of 50 lawmakers on a Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia as part of his ongoing campaign to become the next speaker.

On June 10, Nigeria's ninth National Assembly will be sworn-in and its first task will be to elect new leaders for the senate and House of Representatives. Hon Gbajabiamila representing Surulere One Federal Constituency in Lagos State is the favourite candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to become speaker of the House of Representatives and has stepped up his campaign over the last few weeks.

Currently the majority leader in the outgoing eighth House of Representatives, Hon Gbajabiamila has flown to Mecca and Medina to observe the lesser hajj. Over 50 elected members of the House of Representatives are with him.

Olanrewaju Smart, Hon Gbajabiamila's spokesman, said: “Renowned Islamic leader, Sheik Dahiru Usman, earlier today endorsed and offered prayers for the House leader Femi Gbajabiamila, as speaker of the ninth assembly. The endorsement, which took place at the courtyard of Grand Mosque in Mecca, was the latest in the series of endorsements from different stakeholders within and outside the National Assembly in favour of Femi Gbajabiamila.

“The House leader is in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj and is billed to return to Nigeria to further his campaign ahead of June 10, 2019 inauguration of the National Assembly. With him in Saudi Arabia are over 50 members-elect from across the 36 states of the federation.”