Senator representing Oyo North, Senator Fatai Buhari; the House of Representatives-elect for Ibadan North federal constituency, Hon. Musiliudeen Akinremi and a Civil Society Group, Gbaja for Speaker Civil Society Coalition, on Saturday in Ibadan, said Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, at the moment, have enough support of the National Assembly to lead the 9th National Assembly. 

Fatai Buhari, while responding to questions from journalists in Ibadan, said 51 out of the 66 Senators elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress have signed an endorsement list and pledged to vote for Senator Lawan, representing Yobe North District.

Akinremi, who is the Coordinator of Reps-elects for Hon. Femi Gbajabiamla, while hosting some members of the house at his residence in Ibadan, in continuation of the consultations to actualise Gbajabiamila’s dream, said “we have 191 members as of today backing Gbajabiamila. 

As the Southwest coordinator of the new Reps-elect in the zone, this number is even beyond APC Reps as we have supporters across political divides.” Akinremi further told journalists after the meeting, late Friday night, that: “we will keep talking to our colleagues from across the six geopolitical zones. Write it down, Gbajabiamila may emerge unopposed. We are sure of well over 200 members’ support when the house convene on June 11.” 

The lawmaker elected on the platform of the APC from Ibadan North constituency of Oyo State further said, “for us, the ninth National Assembly should go beyond party affiliation but the need to have qualified, experienced and highly cerebral lawmaker in the person of Gbajabiamila in office as speaker to work with the executive and judiciary to effect positive changes in the nation’s body polity.” 

Akinremi’s position also coincided with the statement by John Adaramola, Similola Ayeni and Tony Okoye on behalf of Gbaja for Speaker Civil Society Coalition, who said, notwithstanding the “mischievous intrigues going on”, they were convinced that the “victory of indefatigable and erudite Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as the next speaker of the House of Representatives is signed, sealed and waiting to be delivered next month.” 

The group, in a press statement made available to journalists in Ibadan, Oyo state, stated that, “no force can stop the well-deserved victory of Femi Gbajabiamila and we urge all so-called Speakership aspirants, including Hon Wase, Hon Betara, Hon John Dyegh, Hon Bago, Hon Babangida and Hon Namdas to step down and get integrated into the Gbajabiamila structure before it is too late to do so.”

Credit: Daily Trust