The President, Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and other notable personalities have showered accolades on Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, describing him as an exemplary leader.
They spoke in Abuja over the weekend during the public presentation of a book, ‘Mr Speaker,’ authored by Dr Charles Omole and Mr Musa Abdullahi Krishi, which chronicles the “legislative life, service and resilience of Femi Gbajabiamila.”
The event, which was part of the activities to mark the Speaker’s 60th birthday, was chaired by former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, and graced by several dignitaries drawn from the public and private sectors of Nigeria as well as diplomatic and international development support groups.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Buhari described Gbajabiamila as a “true patriot”, who “is passionate about Nigeria”, adding 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. “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”, Tinubu said.
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. “He is extremely outstanding and humble, and this is why his friends have all come to celebrate with him. We must all begin to show interest in how we are governed and how laws are made”, he stated.
One of the Speaker’s former colleagues and member of the PDP, Rep. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje, was also on hand to testify to Gbajabiamila’s legislative expertise.
“Femi worked the House like no one could. Femi did more to ensure that Nigerians fell out of love with PDP. I wasn’t surprised he became speaker, and so far he has been absolutely wonderful”, she told the session.
Chairman of the occasion, Osoba, wished the Speaker well, saying, “Gbajabiamila is going to clock 100 years. I thank him for his service to this country. I pray you will become the Nancy Pelosi of Nigeria. Gbajabiamila deserves to be given that type of support to be a Pelosi of Nigeria”.
