The Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, Thursday, said that governors across party lines have keyed into the choice of Senator Godswill Akpabio, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas (PhD), Senator Barau Jibrin and Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu as the Presiding Officers of the incoming 10th Assembly.
The governor said they took the decision after their meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday.
Speaking when he received a delegation of the Tajudeen Abbas/Benjamin Kalu Campaign Team under the Joint Task – 10th Assembly in Abuja on Thursday, the governor said they have the mandate of the governor to do so.
A statement from the Abbas/Kalu campaign office said that the president was firm in his decision.
He said: “We (governors) met with the president two days ago. During our meeting, he told us that campaigns are over. He said that he’d be president for all. So, he sought our understanding and collaboration.
“It is within the right of the president to seek those that will make his job easier. He has decided in collaboration with the party that these are the people that he wants to work with.
“All of us across party lines keyed into what the president told us. We had our meeting after meeting him and decided that we should support the president”.
The governor said he met with the members-elect of Ogun State and told them to support the APC candidates.
“You’re standing solidly with Mr. President and the party. I, as governor of Ogun State, am standing solidly behind you (Tajudeen Abbas).”
The governor added that God gives power to whom He wishes at the time He wishes, noting that with the array of members-elect that have aligned with Abbas and Kalu, “it shows the level of support that you have.”
He said: “I want to thank all those that have keyed into your leadership. Like the president reminded us yesterday (during meeting with APC lawmakers-elect), these are positions for the party with the majority. But that party must seek the partnership of other political parties.
“You should carry along all members or most members to ensure that you succeed. Your success will be measured by the way your members take dividends of democracy to their people.
“I believe Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas will provide meaningful, purposeful, meticulous, people-oriented leadership.”
He said there could be only one occupant of the Speaker’s chair at a time, noting that “there are other smaller chairs that your members can occupy.”
Speaking earlier, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas said the visit to the governor was to seek his support, blessing and cooperation to be able to clinch the position and stabilize the 10th House.
He lauded the purposeful leadership of Governor Abiodun and promised to carry all members along irrespective of their party affiliations if he emerged victorious on June 13.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Joint Task – 10th Assembly, Rt. Hon. Usman Bello Kumo, told the governor that the forum adopted Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas after the APC leadership announced him as its choice for Speaker.
He said the Joint Task was at the forefront of marketing the lawmaker, who represents Zaria Federal Constituency only based on merit.
“We present to you a parliamentarian par excellence. The only lawmaker in the history of our democracy that sponsored 74 Bills within a 4-year term, out of which 21 were signed into law by the president. We’re marketing Tajudeen Abbas on merit. As a favour, the party endorsed him as the speakership candidate”, he said.
