he House of Representatives has declared the seat of the former Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, vacant following his resignation as a lawmaker. Gbajabiamila, who represented Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos State, resigned on Wednesday to take up a new role as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
The current Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abass, announced the declaration of the vacancy after reading Gbajabiamila’s letter of resignation at the plenary. He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be notified to conduct a bye-election to fill the vacant seat.
Gbajabiamila, in his letter, thanked the House and his constituents for the opportunity to serve them for 20 years. He said he was honoured to be appointed by the President as his Chief of Staff and pledged to work with him for the peace and progress of Nigeria.
Gbajabiamila was first elected to the House in 2003 and served as the Minority Leader from 2011 to 2015 and as the Majority Leader from 2015 to 2019. He became the Speaker of the House in 2019 and presided over the 9th Assembly until his resignation.
