Most of the news reports after Tuesday’s inauguration of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on welfare was on how the new Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun, said that the amount allocated to the national assembly yearly was not excessive as it consisted of just 2.67% of the total budget.
However, there was another topical issue which Lasun addressed when he spoke to newsmen.
He reacted to reports that some of his colleagues and APC leaders were prevailing on him to step down as deputy speaker so that he could be replaced by Lagos Rep Femi Gbajabiamila who ran for the office of speaker and lost to Yakubu Dogara.
Lasun who hails from Osun State was emphatic yesterday that he would not resign as deputy speaker as he was duly elected by members.
“That is a speculation; why will I resign? I went through an election on the mandate of the Speaker (Mr. Yakubu Dogara),” he said.
In the Deputy speakership election on June 9, Lasun defeated Borno Rep, Mohammed Monguno, by 203 votes to 153 votes, an even higher margin than that of the Speaker race where Dogara beat Gbajabiamila by 182 votes to 174.
Some lawmakers from the south west had reportedly met with Lasun last week trying to prevail on him to step down for Gbajabiamila who is viewed as a “stronger” person to represent the zone in the leadership.
