The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has called on the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila to ensure that he serves the entire country, if he eventually emerges the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Ninth Assembly.
Speaking, last Wednesday, at Government House, Port Harcourt, when he granted audience to the majority leader and his campaign team, Wike urged Gbajabiamila 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”.
The governor said that 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 Gbajabiamila to always take Rivers State into consideration in the next dispensation, pointing out that the state was not favoured since 2015.
“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 the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has consulted with him, the leadership of Rivers State would favourably discuss his election as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Responding, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila informed the Rivers State 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 was, “Nation Building: A Joint Task”.
The majority leader assured Wike that he would carry all sections of the country along, irrespective of their ethnic, religious, or 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.
Also speaking, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Austin Opara said that Gbajabiamila has the capacity to lead the House of Representatives to greater heights in the interest of the country.
The Director General of the Femi Gbajabiamila and Ahmed Idris Wase Campaign, Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin said that they resolved to consult Wike because he was a force to reckon with in Nigerian politics.