If loyalty is worth rewarding, then Ahmed Idris Wase deserves the reward this time around. Not only as a loyalist to the ruling party, but a foundation member of the mega-merger that birthed the party in 2014 and a longtime trusted political associate of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (President-elect).
In several features published on Ahmed Idris Wase, I labored pointing out the many edges he holds against all other contestants for the caveat seat ranged against him. I shall continue to point out what makes him standout among the rest that makes him more deserving of the votes of his colleagues in the House of Representatives than others at display in the coming permutation.
As a group of democrats, we aim to continue convincing those who are yet to buy into the phenomenal Wase brand and those who prefer other candidates that we have in Wase, the best, the fittest, the most equipped and the most competent and motivated leader to fast-track a robust legislature. Assuredly, this aligns with electoral best practices, and this is what defines an exemplary electoral campaign.
Wase is clearly a man with a unique vision and exemplary mission. Our position and way of thinking are consistent with his personality and emphasize many of his distinguishing characteristics. The possibility, that an emphatic frontiersperson has a vision and rouses others to assist them with understanding their concept uniquely. Wase exemplified all these qualities far above his peers in this race to become the 10th Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives. People who are extraordinary leaders have dreams, share those dreams with others, and encourage them to make their own.
In my past commentaries, I tried to portray Wase as a clear leader in a crowded field of Speakership contestants. I displayed his record in representing the people of Wase federal constituency, which, so far, remain unmatchable and unrivalled by whatever the records of his co-contestants. I x-rayed his leadership skills which are writ-large in the politics of this dispensation. I severally pointed out the bounteous and spectacular results that have trailed his years in the national assembly, which, we insist with apparent confidence, his rivals don’t have. We reified his vision, courage, and innovation, which no either of his co-contestants has at display in the ensuring struggle. We have coursed through our recent history to show his unchallengeable and astute standing in leadership mentoring, which none of his rivals can boast of. We have shown his incredible talent-hunting capability, which is a record breaking feat in leadership in Wase federal constituency and Plateau State. We have shown his redoubtable human capital development capacity, which is a record breaking leadership in his federal constituency history. We have severally pointed out his hugely successful leadership development modal that has seen Wase federal constituency and Plateau State transiting from one successful council leadership to the other since 2007. We have shown his above average understanding of the demands and tools of legislation, which saw him, hew a historical template that has seen Wase federal constituency, Plateau state recording historic turn-around when similar entities are withering. And many more!
We must confess, however, that in this excursion, we have drawn handsomely from the gargantuan track records of Ahmed Idris Wase. Wase federal constituency, Plateau State stands as impregnable testimony of his capacity at transforming a sleepy rural community to an economic hub of southern Plateau through robust representation. His epoch making years as a top-flight sub-continental corporate player in Ecowas Parliament merely add to his flattering records in legislative performance, which morphed his ancestral federal constituency from an abandoned, dejected and decaying urban ghetto in 2007 when he took over as representative, to one of the hotspots of rapid socio-economic growth within southern Plateau today!
Importantly, our task in this essay is to point the way to the Honorable Members of the 10th House of Representatives and leadership of the ruling party (APC), that we have a winning candidate in Ahmed Idris Wase. Our aim is to show why Ahmed Idris Wase remains the best candidate if we actually desire robust legislation and a stable parliament of pride.
Leadership selection or election, which the upcoming national assembly leadership elections serve, is all about having the best options to guarantee a maximum return in terms of legislation and harmonious, working relation with the executive deliverables to the Nigerian people, so the Honorable Members ought to be guided to elect the right if they expect full returns from the leadership they elect.
Wase federal constituency is tremendously benefitting today from the choice they made in 2007. We wish other contestants in the Speakership race can boldly flaunt such testimonials in the federal constituencies they represent although not as a challenge for any ridicule or character assassination.
So, we are stating for the umpteenth time, that Ahmed Idris Wase is the best of all the candidates for the 10th House of Representatives Speakership position. We are stating that his record, which every Nigerian knows is unmatchable. We restate that he is the House of Representative’s best option for maximum support to the executive in return for national growth and development. We won’t mince words in saying this. We don’t shiver, stammer or stutter in presenting Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase as possessing the unassailable edge over other candidates in the speakership race. We say it with every confidence at our disposal that we can defend; the type of confidence that Wase himself exudes in presenting himself for the tasking job! It is confidence that comes with knowledge of the fact that he is the best! It isn’t arrogance, as his seriously impaired opponents, who have nothing to show in support of their contest. We flaunt Wase because we know he can handle the job. We flaunt Wase because we know he knows he handle the job with passion. We flaunt Wase because we know that even his opponents know he can handle the job. We flaunt Wase because even his party APC knows he can handle the job. We flaunt Wase because we know his superlative records prove he can handle the job.
We won’t flaunt Wase if he had failed in his primary and secondary duties as a parliamentarian and a party loyalist and now hawking outlandish promises to hoodwink his colleagues as most of opponents are now doing. We couldn’t have flaunted Wase if he has left his federal constituency in a decrepit mess.
We couldn’t have flaunted Wase if he had maintained the miserable results he inherited in 2007 in his federal constituency. If Wase had failed in his legislative duties and is today telling his colleagues the monumental Eldorado he would create as 10th Speaker, we wouldn’t have come close to him with a ten-foot pole. We wouldn’t for any reason, stake our reputations and integrity to recommend him to his colleagues and his party.
But when we take a look at Wase federal constituency today, compared to what it was before the arrival of Ahmed Idris on the political turf, when we look at the massive and phenomenal turnaround in socio-economic and human capital development, we feel proud flaunting him as what the House of Representatives needs as the 10th Speaker.
When we look at the enormous infrastructural growth ongoing in Wase federal constituency and in other areas around Nigeria influenced by Wase as Deputy Speaker of the exiting 9th Parliament, we feel immensely proud to recommend him as the just Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, to not only lend legislative backing for continuation of the massive infrastructural investment of the Buhari exiting administration.
So, Ahmed Idris Wase, soars far ahead of the others now jostling to be speaker of the 10th House of Representatives. He has such a massive edge over them. He trumps them on ideas, roadmap, vision, courage, and the required legislative experience. Wase federal constituency and the various House Committees including the sub-regional Ecowas Parliament he served are overwhelming evidence that he will perform excellently as the next Speaker.
So far, these and many more reasons, we flaunt Ahmed Idris Wase and recommend him to the ruling party that he belongs and his colleagues in the legislature as the best from the majority. We flaunt him as our best choice for the 10th Speakership position, and in doing that, we feel very proud of his ray of achievements as a nationalist and recipient of national award of Commander of the Order of the Niger CON.
We have kept our cool watching the dirty antics of those in opposition to de-market and shoot down Ahmed Idris Wase’s contest. There are several poignant cases of unethical malevolent and desperate conduct by some supporters of other candidates in the race against the choice of the right man for the position, Ahmed Idris Wase. Those opponents and their cohorts chose to throw decorum to the dogs in their pursuit and adopted brazen and clearly jaundiced methods to bring down the candidature of Wase.
While they have been hauling inconsequential dirt, they have never contested the fact that Wase is an incomparable achiever in legislation when none of the other contestants can compete with. They have never denied the fact that he is the only candidate vying for his track record and competence.
Therefore, for Nigeria to taste the pudding of robust legislature, let the Honorable Members of the House of Representatives and the ruling party APC along with other democratic Nigerians do the needful by vesting such a proven legislator with the arduous task of leading the 10th House of Representatives for maximum democratic growth.
Muhammad is a commentator on national issues
