Representative Mohammed Umar Bago (APC, Niger) has said his insistence on contesting for the speakership of the 9th House of Representatives was in compliance with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that his loyalist should stand on justice, fairness and equity for whatsoever.
The APC leadership though had endorsed the candidature of Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) and urged all members of the party to rally round the majority leader to ensure he wins the speakership.
The APC national chairman and national leader, Adams Oshiomhole and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have repeatedly said any lawmaker that goes against that would be seen as disloyal and may even face sanction.
But in reaction in a recent interview, Umar Bago said his decision to go against the party’s decision was not in any way disloyal to the party instead a demonstration of integrity and uprightness in the pursuit of what is just, fair and forthright.
“On issue of loyalty to the party; you know when people talk about loyalty, I keep laughing. Can there be anybody more loyal to the party than we are? We have come with General Buhari from the times of the TBO (The Buhari Organisation), to the CPC (Congress for Progressives Change), to the merger that produced the APC and now next level.
“So, I think that our pedigree, our record, our resume are too much for us to throw away at this point in time.
“We are very loyal to the party, we are core Buharists and I have said it several times that the president, in his wisdom, told us to stand on the path of justice, fairness and equity, for whatsoever.
“So, I think that we are only disciples of a leader who has taught us how to do things rightly,” he said stressing that a core follower of President Buhari his integrity and loyalty is not in doubt.
On the claim that his colleagues from Niger state have disowned him on the issue of speakership, the lawmaker said, “My colleagues did not disown me and even my party did not disown me; all that the chairman said was that they want to toe the direction of the party which is very okay.
“That is what they want to do but you need to understand that 360 of us will be in that hallowed chamber only to vote ourselves”, he said.
Further, he urged his colleagues not to be intimidated but should rely on their consciences to vote outside influence, even as he rejected open balloting in the election of the speaker.
“I want to reassure our colleagues, the honourable members-elect that they should not be intimidated, they should follow their heart. They know where to go.
“Nobody is going to be there to record you, nobody is going to see your ballot paper, and nobody is going to do open ballot voting, so all these things are gimmicks that won’t work.”
