Speakership: I’m nobody’s candidate -Gbajabiamila

The race for who becomes the next House of Representatives Speaker is heating up, and the candidates are doing all they can to attract as much vote as they can to clinch the seat.

One of such candidates, Minority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, has been campaigning vigorously, and is offering explanation as to why he should be the preferred candidate for the seat.

The lawmaker said he is not a candidate of national leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu for the speakership of the 8th Assembly, as Tinubu has not been favourably disposed to delegations made to him on his (Gbajabiamila) behalf.

Gbajabiamila, who spoke in Abuja when he met with PDP members-elect in continuation of his campaign for the position, said he was often surprised when he heard or read about such insinuation.

He stated that, having led the opposition for eight years in the House, he wondered how people came about the idea that he did not have the capacity to lead the House unless he relied on Tinubu to make a case for him.

However, he admitted that prominent Nigerians, including the Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, had pleaded with Tinubu to support him, but that he did not give them any answer until a few weeks back when the APC leader said “maybe this man (Gbajabiamila) has some appeal.”

According to him, “I intend to be speaker not for anybody. Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu has no hand in it. Lamido Sanusi left his palace in Kano and pleaded with him to support me. He didn’t get a clear answer.

“Shortly after that, Senator Lawan Shuaibu went to Tinubu on the same issue. He still did not respond until when few weeks ago, Nasiru El-Rufai went to meet him, then he said maybe this man has some appeal.

“In 2011, some members from the North went to him to suggest that I should be Tambuwal’s deputy, but he said no to that.”

Gbajabiamila also spoke on how some lawmakers were demanding to be chairmen of particular committees as a condition for supporting him.

He alleged that such members were among the people going about town saying that he was Tinubu’s candidate.

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