Hon Tajudeen Abbas emerged as the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives on Tuesday. He achieved a remarkable victory by receiving an overwhelming 353 votes out of 359 votes cast, in a House of 360 members.
Abbas outshined his competitors, former Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase from Plateau State and Hon Aminu Sani Jaji from Zamfara, who both secured only three votes each.
15 major things to know about Tajudeen Abbas
- Tajudeen Abbas, born on October 1, 1963, in Kaduna States
- He is a prominent figure with the traditional title of Iyan Zazzau, as he hails from the Zazzau Emirate
- He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Business Administration from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, obtained in 1988 and 1993, respectively.
- In 2010, he completed a doctorate degree in business management at Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto.
- From 1993 to 2001, Abbas worked as a lecturer at Kaduna State University (KASU).
- He is a Crown Prince from the Zazzau Emirates, making him a potential successor to the throne of Zazzau, also known as Zaria.
- Tajudeen Abbas entered politics and won his first term of office in 2011, representing Zaria Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. He was initially elected under the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
- Known for his legislative contributions, he sponsored a remarkable 74 bills during the 9th House of Representatives, the highest number by any legislator in that assembly.
- In the 8th Assembly (2015-2019), he also held the record for sponsoring the highest number of bills.
- Out of the 74 bills sponsored by Abbas, 21 were signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari. These laws have led to the establishment and strengthening of critical government agencies.
- His legislative achievements have garnered attention internationally, as ongoing comparative research suggests that he holds the record for the legislator with the highest number of bills in a single session in the whole of Africa.
- Prior to his role as the Speaker, Abbas served in multiple committees in the House, including Commerce, Finance, Special Duties, Defence, Public Procurement, and National Planning and Economic Development Committee. Additionally, he held the position of House Committee Chairman for Land Transport.
- Tajudeen Abbas achieved a significant feat as the Speaker by obtaining more than 300 votes in a contest that initially involved three candidates. This makes him the first Speaker to surpass the 300-vote threshold in such a race.
- He also holds the distinction of being the first Speaker with a Doctorate Degree.
- Before his political career, Abbas began his teaching journey as a primary school teacher.
