Reps Speaker’s Position: Wike Charges Gbajabiamila On Service

Gov. Wike

Femi Gbajabiamila

Port Harcourt: The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has been charged to serve the entire country if he eventually emerged the Speaker of the House.

Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers gave the charge on Wednesday at the Government House, Port Harcourt, when he granted audience to the Majority Leader and his Campaign Team.

Wike also urged the majority leader to shun all forms of excessive party politics and focus on delivering development to the country.

He said: “My belief is that we must work as a team irrespective of the political party that we belong to. It is because of party, that the Electoral Act was not signed

“I will not support any candidate based on political party.  I will support based on capacity to deliver.  We must work as a people.’’

According to Wike, political party is simply a vehicle to drive people to their destination and after getting to the political destination, focus must be on the people.

He urged Femi Gbajabiamila to always take Rivers State into consideration in the next dispensation, adding out that the State was not favoured since 2015.

Wike said: “Rivers State has suffered for the past four years because  of  party politics.

The Federal Government is refunding  funds to States for Federal Projects executed, but Rivers State was excluded by the APC Federal Government.”

He said because Gbajabiamila had consulted with him, the leadership of Rivers would favourably discuss his election as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Also, Gbajabiamila told the Governor that they were in the state to seek his support and blessing for his ambition to head the next House of Representatives as speaker.

He said that the theme of his campaign is “nation building: A Joint Task’’.

He assured th governor that he would carry all sections of the country along, irrespective of their ethnic, religious and political affiliations.

“There is 30 years of legislative experience between Idris Wase and me, which money cannot buy.  I know you want the best for the country,” he said.

Similarly, the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara, said that Gbajabiamila could lead the House of Representatives to greater heights in the interest of the country.

In his remarks, Abdulmumin Jibrin, the Director-General, Femi Gbajabiamila and Idris Wase, said that they resolved to consult Governor Wike because he is a force to reckon with in Nigerian Politics.