PAP Vice Presidency: Nigeria’s Parliament endorse Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah

The Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has announced the candidacy of Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah for the position of Vice President of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) representing the West Africa Region.

Rt. Hon. Gbajabiamila disclosed this on Friday when a candidate for the presidency of the continental parliament Rt. Hon. Haidara Aichata Cisse  from Mali (also in West Africa) paid him a courtesy visit at the National Assembly, Abuja.

While commending Cisse’s candidacy, the speaker said:

“I believe we also have someone in the Senate, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah who is vying for the position of VP”.

A member of Nigeria’s delegation to the Pan African Parliament, Senator Na’Allah served in the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2011. He was elected into the Senate in 2015 and re-elected in 2019.

Senator Na’Allah obtained a Bachelor of Law degree in 1985 from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria and was called to bar in 1986. He is also a trained pilot having received his pilot’s license at the age of 17.

He had served as the Majority Leader of the Senate and is currently the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Air Force.

The Bureau of the Parliament consists of a President and four Vice Presidents representing each of the five regions of the continent.

Could it be that the West Africa Caucus intends to present candidates for both president and vice president of the continental parliament?

However, Rule 84(1) of PAP’s Rules of Procedure states that a regional caucus selects names from amongst its members for nomination for election of President or Vice President.