Samuel Bello, Abuja
A new coalition of 35 registered political parties, the Integrity Political Parties (CIPP), has expressed support for Femi Gbajabiamila to become the speaker of the House of Representatives.
The group’s spokesman, Dr Yakubu Shendam, stated this at the weekend during its inaugural world press conference on the state of the nation in Abuja.
He expressed dismay over the unhealthy approach, utterances and unnecessary legal and media attacks on Gbajabiamila.
Shendam, who is also the National Chairman of New Generation Party (NGP), said Gbajabiamila is not only a fine legislator but a respected one across two chambers of the National Assembly, ’Thus well deserving of his personality, capacity and experience in assuming the mantle of leadership’’.
“CIPP wishes to use this opportunity to announce our firm and unequivocal choice and support for the candidature of Femi Gbajabiamila as the Speaker of the Ninth House of Representatives.
“It will be considered foolhardy that a respected Nigerian citizen who has been elected to the House of Representatives on three occasions and Majority Leader of the House, with all security screenings conducted and concluded without any incident, could be besieged by these lightweight political folks.
‘‘They should have deployed such energies in winning elections for their political parties to the green chamber in order to have legitimacy in the tussle for who becomes the Speaker of the House.
“All operations of the coalition have been geared towards ensuring successful actualisation of this project and for a better leadership of the House of Representatives and by extension, translate into meaningful policy development and administration for all Nigerians,” he said.
Shendam said CIPP represents a clear breakaway from the old antagonist order of reckless political, verbal and unethical media attacks on the person and office of the president and other respected Nigerian leaders who share in a singleness of commitment.
“It is on this premise that the leaders of all thirty-five political parties thought it wise to this day, {7th of June 2019,} proclaim to all Nigerians and the world at large, the formal formation and establishment of CIPP.”
He further assured that the coalition is very much disposed to deploy all machineries of the various affiliated political parties to play active and responsive participation in making Nigeria a better place.