Speakership: Arewa group dumps Gbajabiamila, says electing him not in North’s interest

The Arewa Youth Awareness Forum has warned legislators from the north to be wary of jeopardising the interest of the region, saying that electing Femi Gbajabiamila as speaker of the House of Representatives is not in the interest of the North. Gbajabiamila

In a statement issued in Kaduna, the group noted that those promoting the candidacy of Gbajabiamila are doing so because of the calculations for 2023 presidential election.

“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, especially when his loyalists remain on the board of FIRS, NNPC and other sensitive places. “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 and 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 and the nasty experiences of people like Governor Ambode. A cabal in Lagos contemplated impeaching Ambode and then resorted to sitting on his budget proposals – a great lesson that anyone who loves democracy and President Muhammadu Buhari should bear in mind! “Certainly, half-hearted denials of a 2023 agenda and the strong likelihood of putting Buhari under circumstances similar to Governor Ambode’s later lameduck travails must be seriously and cautiously considered by all our federal legislators”. Vanguard