Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila has denied that he is the candidate of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Gbajabiamila who is contending alongside Chairman, Committee on House Services, Mr. Yakubu Dogara; Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Mr. Mohammed Monguno; Chairman, Committee on Finance, Mr. Abdulmumini Jibrin; and Mr. Pally Iriase for the speakership of the 8th National Assembly.
Gbajabiamila explained that he was surprised when he heard such accusations, he said “I have led the opposition for the past eight years with the best of my ability. I have faced a lot of threats and intimidation to life right from the time of (Olusegun) Obasanjo up to about two weeks ago.
“The way I stick my neck for the opposition, I seek to do same for Nigeria as speaker. I want this campaign to be about issues and hoped it would be that way, but I heard a lot of many negative stories. I tried to maintain dignified silence, but I want to set the record straight now.
“I intend to be speaker not for anbody. Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu has not hand in it. Lamido Sanusi left his palace in Kano and pleadd 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.”
He added that some members are demanding to be chairmen of committees before they support him but allocation of committees will be based on fairness.