The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has expressed his regret for supporting Aminu Tambuwal to become the Speaker of the House in 2011.
Mr Tambuwal had emerged Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2011 against the Peoples Democratic Party’s preferred candidate, Mulikat Adeola-Akande, by conniving with opposition lawmakers.
During a meeting with members-elect in Abuja, Mr Gbajabiamila revealed that he supported the “house project” that installed Mr Tambuwal then but now regrets his decision.
He warned the members-elect against going against the zoning formula of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and reaffirmed that the party was supreme.
He said, “I came here on the platform of a party… if you come here on the platform of a party, there is a saying all over the world that your party is always supreme. It doesn’t mean you are compromising the independence of the legislature, but the fact that your party says this is where we are going.”
Mr Gbajabiamila, who contested for the speakership in 2015, stated that the governors of the states were very influential and advised that they should be mindful of the party’s leaders.
He also stated that nominating a candidate to lead the House should not be perceived as an imposition.
He said, “Nobody is compromising the independence of the legislature… but at the end of the day, we have to be mindful of one thing. The party we represent has its leaders. The governors from the states, whether we like it or not, are very powerful.”
In conclusion, Mr Gbajabiamila expressed his own journey towards becoming Speaker, encouraging the members-elect to remain loyal to the party and work with the party’s leaders to achieve success.
