The Senator representing Ondo North Senatorial District, Robert
Boroffice, on Tuesday clarified that the National Leader of the All
Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, did not impose Senator
Ahmad Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as consensus candidates of the
party for the National Assembly leadership positions.
There was a general outcry among some federal lawmakers over the
roles played by Tinubu, towards the inauguration of the eight National
Assembly when the election into the office of the Senate President; his
deputy; Speaker of the House of Representatives and his deputy, were
conducted.
There was a section among the APC federal lawmakers, who are
loyalists of Senator Bukola Saraki, and Hon. Yakubu Dogara, who believed
that Lawan and Gbajabiamila were single-handedly picked by the former
governor of Lagos State for alleged personal interests.
But Boroffice, in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday
argued that, Tinubu had preferred Senator George Akume and Gbajabiamila,
to be presented as the party’s choice for the post of Senate President
and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.
He
said the argument of Tinubu was that both Akume and Gbajabiamila being
minority leaders in the Seventh Senate and House of Representatives,
should automatically assume the leadership of both chambers as Senate
President and Speaker respectively.
Boroffice said, “Asiwaju Tinubu had already made up his mind to, in
line with the normal, global parliamentary practice, support Akume and
Gbajabiamila but the story changed along the line, when there were
indications that the party leadership was favourably disposed to Lawan.
“Tinubu did not before then, have any close political interactions
with Lawan. It was a senator, who is very close to the presidency that
actually took Lawan to Asiwaju in Lagos, in company with another
prominent party leader.
“Tinubu, categorically told the two gentlemen in the presence of
Lawan that his choice was Akume and pledged to consult with other party
leaders before he would give his final answer to their request to
support Lawan.
“I was in the know of all the process that led to the emergence of
Lawan and Gbajabiamila as consensus candidates. Tinubu played the role
because of his loyalty to the party. I was among the four people that he
sent to beg Akume, since he had already promised to support him.
“The campaign of calumny against Asiwaju was a grand conspiracy to
tarnish Tinubu’s image because some people were no longer comfortable
with his ever growing influence and goodwill within the party, which
he earned over the years as a result of his generosity and selfless
service.”
Boroffice said the initial campaign of the anti – Tinubu lawmakers
within the APC was that Lawan’s emergence, being too independent minded
person, coupled with his alleged closeness to the former Senate
President, David Mark, would be a thorn in the flesh of President
Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
He said, “It was when their wicked campaign against Lawan because of
Asiwaju’s support for him failed, that they connived with the Peoples
Democratic Party to rebel against the party’s consensus candidates of
Lawan and Gbajabiamila.”
No comments:
Post a Comment