The news that Honourable Idris Ahmed Maje is offering to serve as the speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th National Assembly comes as a reassuring development in the wake of the flurry of other not so savoury reports accompanying Nigeria's recent democratic experience.

Just like the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari has served to reassure the citizenry that the gains made in fighting corruption and other economic injurious practices would be sustained, the reelection of Maje has served to guarantee that there will be a continuation of quality representation and the making of good laws for Nigeria.

Recent pointers to the fact that the honourable member from Wase Federal Constituency is set to be the choice of the All Progressives Congress, APC, the party with the majority in the House, as the next speaker of the House of Representatives has been received with high elan.

This is because the quality of the law maker matches the high expectation of a legislative head that would compliment the efforts of the executive arm in moving Nigeria  to the next level.

The APC as a party must put certain things into consideration in deciding who becomes the next speaker to avoid a repeat of what happened in the last dispensation.

The first is that the party cannot afford to have a speaker whose loyalty to the party is either in doubt or is dependent only on political exigencies.

Maje since going to House in 2007 has remained consistent and has never changed his political platform.

The only time he changed was when the ACN merged with other parties to form the APC.

He has contributed in building the party in the North Central part of Nigeria and is sure to guard the party's interest jealously rather than somebody with little knowledge of how the party came to be.

Secondly, the party cannot allow a person whose loyalty is to an Individual be the speaker.

Maje does not fall in the category of politicians whose apron strings are tied to some godfathers who may want or dictate how things are ran from outside.

The honourable member from Wase, has been a committed and thorough party man and is not likely to deviate from that path of honour when he becomes the speaker.

Another thing is that the Honourable Member  from Wase is from the North Central Zone which is yet to produce a speaker since the advent of democracy in Nigeria.

The APC needs a strong figure from the zone to build on its strength there and give the people a sense of belonging due to their contribution the success of the party.

Maje has been tested with leadership positions  in the past and has shown that he is accountable and astute administrator who brings to bear the quality of his intellect in any body or organisation he is heading.

The Honourable Member had served as the chairman of the Plateau Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board Board before his people prevailed on him to go and represent them as a federal lawmaker in 2007.

What awed the people was the manner Maje as chairman of the Pilgrims' board, was able to sanitize the process of Hajjj operations in Plateau State within a short period of time and restored order and accountability in the board.

Honourable Maje is well liked by people. He joined the defunct ACN at its formative stage and it is a demonstration of the faith his people had in him that he was elected on the platform of a party that was barely known in Plateau State then.

Since then the faith and trust the people have in him has even amplified as each time an opportunity presents itself for an election, the people are too happy to renew his mandate.

Consequently, he is going to the House for the fourth time, a record only few can match.

Though Maje has been working hard and contributing to the process of law making and good governance in Nigeria, his efforts as a practical welfarist and astute leader is exhibited in the manner he has helped the vast majority of the people of Nigeria.

Between 2007 and 2019, it is on record that Maje has helped hundreds of people to set up businesses as a way of enhancing their economic status and has helped hundreds others secure jobs.

He is being celebrated as a folk hero everywhere he goes as the beneficiaries of his interventions  cut across religious and ethnic divides.

People are of the opinion that if Maje could deliver the dividends of democracy to the people at that level, giving him a higher platform  would only be in the interest of  larger majority that stand to gain from his good works.

The APC needs to leverage on this to boost the goodwill needed to take Nigeria to the next level in the next dispensation.