Bago to Tinubu: Your support for Gbajabiamila is about your 2023 presidential ambition

One of those aspiring to emerge as the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the ninth National Assembly, Hon. Mohammed Bago, has said the support of the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the candidacy of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila for the speaker’s seat was borne more out of his 2023 presidential ambition than any other reason.
Bago, who is from Niger State, said this in a statement by the Hon. Mohammed Bago Campaign Organisation.
He said rather than pushing reasons that are not tenable, Tinubu should allow Gbajabiamila run on his own record and reputation.
The statement, signed by Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, reads: “We have perused the statement released by the National Leader of our Party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, especially as it concerns the leadership of the House of Representatives, and wish to respectfully disagree with him on some of the conclusions therein.
“For starters, even though he took extra care not to mention his choice candidate by name, the laborious attempt to pass off same desire as the onerous craving of President Muhammadu Buhari clearly leaves his real intentions exposed.
“Not too long ago, in 2015, when Tinubu tried to foist the same mentee of his as Speaker, in spite of the rational voices of caution by many stakeholders, many had been left wondering if the enforcement effort was at the instance of President Buhari and the Party.
“Although, a greater portion of the statement centred on his probable scheming for the 2023 Presidential election, real or imagined, our concern revolves around the oblique reference to loyalty as basis for his decision to stand by his adopted as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“It is on this score, and several other incontrovertible facts that we disagree with the position of our national leader.
“It is our contention that nobody has the monopoly of loyalty. Put succinctly, it is not anyone’s exclusive preserve and no one is a custodian of it.
“In deed, the pursuit of equity and fairness in an enterprise where we are all stakeholders cannot vitiate our candidate’s long standing, earned reputation as a loyalist of President Buhari, our party, the All Progressives Congress, and above all, the people of his constituency, his state, Niger, and the North central zone who have invested their trust in him to represent them.
“Instead of seeking to pitch party faithful who seek their just due against the President, we rather expect Asiwaju Tinubu, as a father to all, to critically consider the legitimate aspiration of the North central zone and ensure that justice is done.”