Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for president, said on Sunday that he is still looking for his running partner ahead of the 2023 general election.
He made this statement in Abuja during his keynote speech at the Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, 60th birthday celebration. The former governor of Lagos also praised the Speaker for his support of democracy and his political aspirations to lead Nigeria, while praising his deputy, Hon. Idris Wase, for being a dependable ally.
“I could see a Deputy (Wase) sitting down there too, you are very good symbols of unity, dependability, and honesty, thank you. Thank you for both of you, you’ve not rocked the boat. I will need to learn from both of you, how you made the pair work because I’m still searching for my running mate,” Tinubu said.
“What you did during my primary (APC presidential election) is a story for another day. I’ve spent more time, too many times and people might be bored, they might be envious too, they might be jealous. I won a landslide, I thank you.
“Femi, with your determination, and reach, you are a contributor to our democratic growth, thank you. It is about charting a path to success, you’ve done a good job and I say thank you, thank you.”
President Muhammadu Buhari hailed Gbajabiamila as a skilled lawmaker and a team player in his remarks.
The Speaker is someone who looks past divisions for the sake of everyone, according to Buhari, who was represented by his chief of staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.
“For him what matters is not so much the party differences but what unites Nigerians and that is why he is a passionate advocate for a peaceful democracy and unity of Nigeria. And no amount of parliamentary maneuvers or differences between parties would deviate him from this,” he said.
“He introduced the term legislative diplomacy. When there were issues between Nigerian and Ghanaian traders, he went to Accra and met with his colleagues and tried to resolve the issue.
“Mr President is very proud of the fact that he did not need to interfere in how the National Assembly runs because he had trust in the capacity in the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives and therefore he feels that with capable hands in both chambers of the NASS there is no need to interfere.
“It is also a fact that under the Speaker and leader of the Senate, there is no automatic opposition and antagonism to the executive. The role of the legislature is not to be antagonistic as a matter of routine, but to be partners for good governance for the people of Nigeria. They are working together to make Nigeria better.”
