A member of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Gagdi, has said he is not sure president-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu is aware of the All Progressives Congress (APC) zoning arrangement for speakership and Deputy because of the manner it was done.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the speakership hopeful added that the Party took the decision without due consultation with the aspirants and key stakeholders.
Recall that the APC had announced that Tajudeen Abbas, a lawmaker from Kaduna State and Benjamin Kalu, a member from Abia State, are the Party’s preferred candidates for the position of speaker and deputy for the 10th House of Representatives.
However, the Party’s position has been met with pushback from other speakership hopefuls, while some stakeholders have called for a review of the decision.
The lawmaker said, “In the first instance, there was no consultation. It was highly disrespectful. We campaigned for the party, we are stakeholders in the party. We were elected under the leadership of the party. But there was no courtesy of even calling us to inform us about what the party is arranging.
“I know the principles of our president-elect whom I so much respect. Up till today, I don’t believe that what is happening the president-elect is aware of it or it is his idea.
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“That is why we keep challenging the party that issued the thing.”
He added that Tinubu only won one Local Government Area in Kaduna State during the presidential election and that he couldn’t have approved zoning speakership position to the State.
According to Gagdi, the APC won more elective offices in the North-Central than the North-West and should be rewarded.
His words: “Tinubu had promised that he will reward loyalty and commitment.
“I think it negates even the commitment of the President-elect. What the party did contradict the promise and commitment and the way of politics of Bola Tinubu.
“Zamfara gave the highest votes in the north-west and yet you have not given them a single position — but you are giving to a state (that the APC won) one LGA. Are we rewarding disloyalty?
“So where is the principle of Bola Tinubu here? The party tore and throw it away.”
Nonetheless, he said the speakership hopefuls were not against Tinubu but the Party’s decision.
“We are not against anybody and we are not even against the President-elect. As far as we are concerned, we have not heard anything from him (Tinubu). We have not heard anything regarding whether he has zoned or endorsed a particular candidate.
“Except that the candidates that are being paraded, particularly the ones from the house of representatives and his co-travellers, are the ones saying that that he has been endorsed by Tinubu. We have not heard that from (Tinubu) as far as the G7 is concerned,” he added.
