By; IYOKPO J. EGBODO, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and other notable personalities have showered accolades on Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, describing him as an exemplary patriotic leader.
They said the Speaker has demonstrated capacity in his political journey, asking him to remain consistent and relentless in service to Nigeria.
They spoke in Abuja at the weekend, during the presentation of a book, ‘Mr Speaker,’ authored by Dr. Charles Omole and Mr. Musa Abdullahi Krishi, chronicling the “legislative life, service and resilience of Femi Gbajabiamila.”
The weekend event, which was part of the activities to mark the Speaker’s 60th birthday, was chaired by a former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, and graced by dignitaries drawn from the public and private sectors of Nigeria as well as diplomatic and international human development support groups.
Buhari, represented by his Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, described Gbajabiamila as a “true patriot”, who “is passionate about Nigeria.”
He stated that having watched the speaker’s political growth over the years, he had come to the conclusion that Gbajabiamila is “an astute legislator who wants a peaceful, united Nigeria to grow.”
On his part, Tinubu, while appreciating Gbajabiamila, recalled how the speaker learnt fast in his early days as a politician, in spite of the tough terrain he found himself, back then in Surulere, Lagos State.
The APC presidential candidate noted that because of Gbajabiamila’s willingness to learn, he was able to turn his initial reluctance into an unstoppable politician.
“Politics is very rough and I told Femi. He would complain from morning and hours. Later on, he got used to it, but he never stopped complaining about one thing or another.
“As Minority Leader, he was always there to see to the thinking of the opposition to defeat the PDP. He had to brainstorm on strategies… Femi is a workaholic”, he added
Tinubu narrated how he almost cried when Gbajabiamila lost in his first attempt to be the speaker in 2015, but said, “I told him, ‘stamp your feet, never give up.’ Then he fought hard.”
Also, founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr Tony Elumelu, who was the Chief Presenter of the book, said Gbajabiamila remained “a man we have all come to love and admire.”
