The Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has said governors across party lines are in support of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) anointed candidates for presiding officers of the soon to be inaugurated 10th National Assembly.
Abiodun said this when he received a delegation of the Tajuden Abbas/Benjamin Kalu Campaign Team championed by the Joint Task – 10th Assembly Group in Abuja on Thursday.
NATIONAL ECONOMY reports that APC had endorsed Senators Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin for senate president and deputy in the next senate, while it settled for Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and Hon. Benjamin Kalu for speaker and deputy speaker of the next session of House of Representatives.
The Ogun State governor said himself and his counterparts took the decision after their meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday.
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 would 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.”
Abiodun said he has met with the National Assembly members-elect from Ogun State and told them to stand solidly behind the president and the party.
While assuring Abbas and Kalu of his support, he said, “I as governor of Ogun State, am standing solidly behind you.
“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.”
Earlier, Hon. Abbas said the visit was to seek the governor’s support, blessing and cooperation to be able to clinch the position and stabilise the 10th House.
He commended Abiodun for his purposeful leadership and promised to carry all members along, irrespective of their party affiliations if elected speaker of the House.
Also speaking, the chairman of the Joint Task – 10th Assembly, Hon. Usman Bello Kumo, informed the governor that the forum adopted Abbas after the APC leadership declared him as its choice for speakership.
“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 are marketing Tajudeen Abbas on merit. As a favour, the party endorsed him as the speakership candidate,” Kumo stated.
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