Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has not denied reports that he will be appointed as the new chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu.
During a meeting with the service chiefs on Thursday, Tinubu allegedly announced Gbajabiamila as his chief of staff. When questioned by journalists about the appointment after a meeting between Tinubu and the National Assembly leadership, Gbajabiamila called for patience, stating that the system needs to be allowed to work before a formal announcement is made.
The reluctance to officially announce Gbajabiamila as chief of staff could be related to a constitutional requirement that mandates members of the National Assembly to resign if appointed to an executive office.
According to Section 68(1) of the constitution, a member of the Senate or House of Representatives must vacate their seat if they become President, Vice-President, Governor, Deputy Governor, Minister of the Government of the Federation, Commissioner of a State Government, or a Special Adviser.
If Gbajabiamila is indeed appointed as chief of staff, he may have to resign from the House, allowing another lawmaker to take his place until the current 9th House terminates on June 11.
It is speculated that his deputy, Idris Wase, would replace him, but this may not be the case as they were not elected as a single ticket into the lower chamber. In such a scenario, a speaker pro tempore would need to be elected to oversee the House's affairs until its termination.
The relationship between Gbajabiamila and Wase has deteriorated in recent weeks due to the ongoing struggle for the speakership of the 10th House.
Gbajabiamila, a political ally of Tinubu, was re-elected during the National Assembly election on February 25 to represent Surulere II federal constituency of Lagos State, marking his fifth term.
There have been speculations about his potential appointment as chief of staff to Tinubu, especially given their frequent appearances together.
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