Nigeria
Speaker of the House of Representatives
How the office holder is chosen
Under section 50 of the 1999 Constitution, the President and Deputy President of the Senate, and the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, are elected by the members of each House from among themselves.1
Term
Under section 50(2), the presiding officer vacates office on ceasing to be a member of the House (other than by dissolution), when the House first sits after a dissolution, or on removal by a resolution supported by two thirds of members. Under section 56(1), the presiding officer has a casting vote to avoid an equality of votes but otherwise does not vote.1
Recent holders
| Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Yakubu Dogara2 | 9 June 2015 | 10 June 2019 |
| Femi Gbajabiamila2 | 11 June 2019 | 12 June 2023 |
| Abbas Tajudeen2,3 | 13 June 2023 | Present |
Notable facts
- On 13 June 2023 Tajudeen Abbas won 353 of the 359 votes cast, according to the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre.3
Sources
- Constitute Project, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (rev. 2011) (Constitute Project)
- Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU Parline historical data for Speaker: Nigeria, House of Representatives (28 October 2026)
- Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, Speaker, President emerge as 10th NASS inaugurated (14 June 2023)