Noah Ebije, Ebije
A northern group under the umbrella of Arewa Youth Awareness Forum has kicked against the candidature of Femi Gbajabiamila for the House of Representatives speakership.
The chairman of the group, Mohammed S. Kabir, in a statement said the future of North and the President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term is at political risk with Gbajabiamila as the speaker of the 9th Assembly.
The statement said: “Again, we repeat that Gbaja is not the best option for Arewa future interest or that of the Buhari Presidency; it remains very risky for President Buhari, the North and the entire federation when one godfather is remotely in control of offices of the Vice President, ruling party chairman, Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives
“In recent days, the mass media has been awash with planted stories projecting unreal optimism about Honourable Gbajabiamila’s speakership aspirations but the most laughable and illogical one was the one by a so-called ‘Gbaja For Speaker’ coalition that toed the usual line of fantasy.
“While we are not drumming support for any political party or candidate, we note the overboard jubilation that mere political statements of ‘support’ has spurred for the Gbaja project but we passionately urge all northern governors, members of the House representing various northern states to tread very carefully on Hon Gbajabiamila’s candidature.
“It is indeed, a tragedy when those who pretentiously profess progressive ideology and populist democracy only remain hell-bent in following the opposite direction.
“Certainly, half-hearted denials of a 2023 agenda and the strong likelihood of putting Buhari under circumstances similar to Governor Ambode’s later lame-duck travails must be seriously and cautiously considered by all our federal legislators.
“It is the firm belief of all right-thinking citizens that on June 11 when members of the House of Representatives meet to decide on the leadership of the House, Nigerians will see the phantasmagorical majority that Hon Gbajabiamila and his backers are boasting of, and the flight of fantasy that they are cruising on, will touch down and hit reality.”