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.
“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.”
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