The speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, says he regrets supporting Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal to emerge as Speaker in 2011.
In 2011, the then-ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, had nominated Mulikat Adeola-Akande as the preferred candidate for Speaker of the House but Mr Tambuwal defied the directives and connived with opposition lawmakers to emerge speaker.
Speaking during a meeting with members-elect on Wednesday in Abuja, Mr Gbajabiamila said he supported the “house project” that “installed” Mr Tambuwal at that time but now regrets his decision.
The speaker, therefore, warned the members-elect not to go against the decision of the e All Progressives Congress, APC, on the zoning formula.
He noted the party is supreme and the lawmakers’ loyalty to the APC should not be in doubt.
“I stand before you here as a testament to what party loyalty and consistency can do in your life. I have a story to tell and I am sure everybody has one story or the other to tell. My story may not be unique. I came here on the platform of a party,” he said.
“We don’t have independent candidacy in Nigeria. It’s not in our constitution or laws. Perhaps, one day, we will get to that point. But my core belief is that if you come here on the platform of a party, there is a saying all over the world that your party is always supreme.
“You will disagree with your party just like people will disagree amongst family members, but at the end of the day, the party is an organised structure. Let no one kid you.
“I am here to offer advice. I have been the pioneer leader of what they call the house project at one time when we installed Tambuwal as the speaker. I regret it.”
He also explained that nominating a candidate to lead the House should not be seen as an imposition.
“Nobody is compromising the independence of the legislature. The last person that will do it is me. But the fact that your party says this is where we are going, it doesn’t mean you are compromising the independence of the legislature,” he said.
“Many of us are new here. People will talk to you. They will cajole you, and say all sorts of things in flowery and romantic language 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. You can do your bidding today. I share these things just to advise from my own experience.
“In 2015, I ran for the speakership of the House of Representatives. The party nominated me. The whole world was sure that I was going to win that race. We lost by about six votes.
“A few of our party members worked against me and combined with the PDP at the time. Four years later, I ran again and won that election with 284 votes, the highest in the history of the Nigerian parliament.”
