A former Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and fourth term member of the House, Hon (Mrs) Funmilayo Tejuoso, has formally joined the race for the speakership of the 8th Assembly with a declaration that she is the most qualified for the job.

Addressing a gathering of her colleagues in Lagos, yesterday, Tejuoso said in terms of ranking, experience in legal practice and as a legislator, she is far ahead of others in the race.

“I have been the Deputy Chief Whip and the Deputy Speaker in the hallowed chambers of this House. I am a fourth term legislator in the 8th Assembly scheduled to commence in June 2015 and the only legislator that has served as a principal officer in two capacities particularly as Deputy Speaker among all of us aspiring to be the Speaker,”she said.

“As Deputy Speaker then, I acted as the Speaker at various times. I have equally served in several committees as Chairman, particularly, Finance, Women Affairs, and held memberships in Education, Budget, Judiciary and Works among others.

“At present, I am the most senior legislator in the forthcoming Assembly, having served in those principal positions.”

Tejuoso said as part of her commitment and loyalty to her party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, which also qualified her for the Assembly’s number one seat, she had “served the party in several capacities such as member, Gubernatorial Advisory Committee (GAC), convener of the APC Presidential and Gubernatorial Candidates’ Town Hall meeting with Nigerian women, South-West, which took place at the Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola and several other dignitaries present.”

Beyond this, she added that the seat should naturally be conceded to her by others in the race as the only woman vying for the seat in the spirit of change that APC stands for.

Her words: “I am the only female aspirant and believe that in the spirit of change that our party canvasses, it is only logical and fair that Lagos too enjoys the benefit of a female speaker for the first time in the history of the state, similar feat having been achieved in states like Ogun, Oyo and Ondo.”