Speakership position: Wike charges Gbajabiamila not to be sectional leader

TRACKING>>Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has called on the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila to ensure that he serves the entire country, if he eventually emerges the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the next Assembly.

Speaking on Wednesday at the Government House, Port Harcourt when he granted audience to the Majority Leader and his Campaign Team, Wike urged the Majority Leader 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 the political party was 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, has consulted with him, the leadership of Rivers State will favourably discuss his election as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Earlier, Gbajabiamila informed the 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 is “nation building: A Joint Task”. He assured Wike that he would carry all sections of the country along, irrespective of their ethnic, religious and 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.

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.