Gagdi: Tinubu hasn’t told us he has a preferred candidate for speakership

Yusuf Gagdi, a member of the house of representatives, says he does not believe President-elect Bola Tinubu is aware of the All Progressives Congress (APC) zoning arrangement for speaker and deputy.

Gagdi, a speakership hopeful, spoke on Tuesday during an interview with journalists in Abuja.

The APC had announced that Tajudeen Abbas, a lawmaker from Kaduna and Benjamin Kalu, a member from Abia, are the party’s preferred candidates for the position of speaker and deputy for the 10th house of representatives.

But the party’s position has been met with pushback from other speakership hopefuls, while some stakeholders have called for a review of the decision.

Seven of the speakership aspirants have formed an alliance dubbed G7 and declared that the speaker will be elected from among them.

Gagdi said the party took the decision without due consultation with the aspirants and key stakeholders.

The lawmaker said he did not believe that Tinubu was aware of the zoning arrangement by the party because of the manner it was done.

“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,” he said.

“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.

“That is why we keep challenging the party that issued the thing.”

Gagdi said Tinubu only won one LGA in Kaduna during the presidential election and that he couldn’t have approved zoning speakership position to the state.

He said the APC won more elective offices in the north-central than the north-west and should be rewarded.

“Tinubu had promised that he will reward loyalty and commitment,” he said.

“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.”

Gagdi 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.”