•Reveals why Abbas was ideal for speaker
•Tells story of how and why he rooted for him
•Speaker hails chief of staff’s leadership
Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, weekend, hinted at the cost of working with President Bola Tinubu, and confessed it has been the most difficult job he’s undertaken because of the nature and work ethic of the president.
Speaking at a conversation, book reading and signing event at the Capital Club, Victoria Island, Gbajabiamila said his work has been made more difficult because the president was strong, knew his onions and knew the work better.
The former speaker of the House of Representatives, also went back to the politics of the speakership election in 2023, and explained why he pitched for Hon. Tajudeen Abbas as his successor for speakership, saying he was the best in the circumstances.
On his part, Speaker Abbas, who in his address dwelt on the leadership qualities of his predecessor, told the gathering that unlike the typical tradition in political parlance, the former speaker had never attempted to throw his weight or influence around, given the role he played in his election.
Speaking on his current posting, Gbajabiamila said, “Nothing in this world can prepare you for the role of Chief of Staff. First, you’d lose your freedom.
“As speaker, you are your own boss, although you won’t be irresponsible with it. But as speaker, I could travel to cool off anytime, just to return better and get the work done.
“Now, there’s a boss, one who is strong and knows his onions and even knows more than you. But it’s a welcome development. As speaker, the buck stops on my table. But here, there is a boss.
“As speaker, whereas you are dealing with 359 other colleagues of yours, even though you are dealing with the entire country. But primarily, you are dealing first with 359 others. As chief of staff, you are dealing with 200 million Nigerians with different needs at different times.”
On the election of Abbas, he said, “When the election of speaker was coming, everyone, who came out to contest was close to me and the incumbent was the least closest to me.
“But I went to him and asked: how do you want to be speaker? He was in Kaduna at the time. I wanted to leave a legacy that I would be proud of, and which my family would be proud of. So, I approached him.
“Other contenders were equally qualified. But I knew him. I knew his capacity and pedigree. And when I put him forward, every member of the house fell in line. Today, they call to thank me for his leadership.”
Talking about his own speakership journey, Gbajabiamila, who was in the House for six terms, said, “The first time I ran for speakership, I believed I had worked to that point: minority, majority, and speaker.
“But the opposition endorsed Yakubu Dogara and that was it. By the time the result was announced, it was a shocker to even me. Everybody was shocked.
“There were plans to remove him, but I never attended any of such meetings, where the plans were being hatched. I told them what was done, was done. Let’s move forward and I think that enhanced my eventual emergence as speaker in 2019.”
Discussing his political journey in general, he said his third election into the House proved the most difficult after he had openly and publicly campaigned against former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third term bid and also went on to kill the move.
But the irony, he said, was that he was also itching to pitch his third term election to the House and so, his opposition played it up, saying if he could oppose Obasanjo’s third term, why should he be allowed to also enjoy a third term in the House.
According to him, the opposition made it challenging to tell the people that while the constitution forbids the president and governors from seeking a third term, it allows the lawmakers as many times as possible.
Eventually, Gbajabiamila said he survived that era and went on to not only win that particular election, but also the fourth, fifth and sixth elections into the House before emerging the speaker in 2019, and now Tinubu’s chief of staff.
The lawyer-turned politician told the audience that, “My favourite book is the Quran. However, to be a successful leader, you must read and it’s a process. It does not end. You must continue to read.”(Thisday)
