GBAJABIAMILA: GOOD CANDIDATE, BAD godfather

By Kola Popson
Yesterday was so disappointing and disheartening to Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as he was denied his speakership ambition of the 8th National Assembly by his colleagues at the Federal House of Representatives. Many have started attributing Gbajabiamila’s defeat to bad godfatherism of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who they claim enjoys imposition of candidates to counter the wish and desire of the people.

Yesterday, members of the 8th House of Representatives, through voting exercise, chose the candidacy of Hon. Yakubu Dogara, representing Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa-Balewa federal constituency of Bauchi State, over the candidacy of Femi Gbajabiamila, who represents Surulere 1 federal Constituency of Lagos State. Hon. Yakubu Dogara scored 182 votes against 174 votes scored by Hon. Gbajabiamila to emerge the new Speaker of House of Representatives.

Though both Hon. Gbajabiamila and the speaker, Hon. Dogara are ranking lawmakers who had held several positions in the House, a factual analysis of both would probably make many conclude that Gbajabiamila, having been a member of the House since 2003, has a richer and vast legislative experience to bear in leading the House and bringing stability to it. It is not unreasonable to conclude that Hon. Gbajabiamila, having been the arrowhead of opposition in the House, would have enjoyed massive supports of APC House members and even some PDP lawmakers if Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s factor had not come to play.

Indeed, many of these House members, who have voted for Hon. Dogara, did so wittingly to prove to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other leaders of All Progressive Congress that imposition of candidates would no longer be allowed. Many of those that voted against Hon. Gbajabiamila had claimed that should Gbajabiamila emerge Speaker, the House would entirely be in the pocket of the former governor and APC National leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu.

Another thing that has hazarded Gbajabiamila speakership bid is that many believe that since the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, is a disciple of Jagaban, as Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu is fondly called, it would be wrong for another of the former governor’s ardent follower to pick the Speakership slot. To many of the legislators and some Nigerians, doing so would make Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu too powerful, and this might not be in the best interest of the country.

In the same vein, because of the grudges members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hold against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and due to the fact that he was instrumental to the heavy defeat of PDP in 2015 general elections, they were not going to allow ‘his boy’, Gbajabiamila emerge the Speaker of House of Representatives. Therefore, they came up with the decision of adopting Hon. Dogara as a PDP candidate and instructed their members in the House to vote for him massively to trash out Tinubu’s preferred candidate. While acknowledging the fact that PDP members are minority in the House, they command a significant membership of the House. And this significant membership was evident in the result of the speakership election.

The truth of the matter is that while many still hold Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in high esteem, and believe that his imposition of candidates is for the good of all, some strongly believe he is overdoing this and are getting tired of his unwarranted attitude to this. While it is true that a leader, like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may have the ability to see, through his mind, what ordinary people may not see with their naked eyes, it is advisable that he knows when to bend sometimes in his decision making. He should know that he cannot have things go his ways all the time because he is human, and not God. The moment a leader begins to portray himself as a god and most knowledgeable to his people or followers, he starts losing followership, respect and command.

In other words, no matter how knowledgeable and influential a leader is, he should never give his people and followers the impression that he is ‘Mr. know it all’ or ‘Mr. do it all’ with nobody to question him. The day he does that, no matter his high-level of acceptance to them, is the day his followers/people will tell him, through their actions, how long they have been enduring his ignorance and foolishness as their leader. As he continues to discharge and execute his leadership duties and roles, not only in the South West, but in the country at large, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu should thread softly and listen with a good heart to the constructive criticism on his personality and actions.

Summing up, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila should also take his defeat in good faith, bearing in mind what he had said in 2013 that members of the House voted for Tambuwal in 2011 to emerge the Speaker against the candidacy of a Southwest candidate, Mulikat Akande-Adeola on the basis of merit, and not based on tribalism. “We were in search of merit. We voted for merit. The election was not about South-West, North nor the East. We wanted a Speaker and we went for the person with merit. It was not ACN versus PDP,” Hon. Gbajabiamila had said then.