Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has lavished praise on Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, stating that the guidance he had from him over the past 30 years was crucial to the development of his political career.
This was revealed by Gbajabiamila at the postponed “Meet the Mentor” luncheon hosted by the Progressive Sisters Network in Abuja’s International Conference Center in honor of the former governor of Lagos State.
The PSN National Coordinator, Rinsola Abiola, also acknowledged that the APC presidential candidate deserved praise for appointing Justice Ibilola Sotuminu (retired), the first female chief judge in Lagos, and for encouraging his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to break records by becoming the first woman to serve three terms in the Nigerian Senate. The Speaker’s tribute came shortly after Rinsola Abiola’s admission.
Senator Kashim Shettima, Senator Tinubu’s running mate, APC National Women Leader Dr. Betta Edu, Deputy Spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council Hannatu Musawa, and other PCC members were among the significant political figures present at the occasion.
Gbajabiamila asserted that he was fortunate to be among notable individuals who benefited from the philosophy and political sagacity of the national head of the APC while stating that nobody could succeed in life on their own.
“We are here to talk about a man whose entire life is a testament to the incredible impact that individuals can make on the lives of others when they devote themselves to building ladders of opportunity for others to reach the highest heights their talents can take them. And most importantly, we are here to hear from the people who, at the critical moments of their ascent, benefitted from the support, guidance, and leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I am one of such persons.
“Nobody makes it in this life alone; we need each other. We depend on relationship networks, our family, our friends, and even sometimes the kindness of strangers to achieve the best desires of our hearts. In those moments, nothing beats having a guiding hand from someone who has been down the same road and can provide you with a roadmap.
“For nearly three decades now, I have had the opportunity and privilege of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s guiding hand to help me in my public service. I have learned lessons from him that have helped me be a better legislator and public servant. Today, we are seeing the devastating hardship that inevitably results when policymakers fail to consider the life and circumstances of the ordinary citizen,” he stated.
The Speaker stated that the caliber of policy development and implementation would depend on the individuals one surrounded themselves with while serving in public office.
He said that Tinubu assembled a cabinet of men and women from many states and regions who represented various religious and cultural affiliations while serving as the governor of Lagos State.
He said, “That cabinet had men like Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Ben Akabueze, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Senator Femi Lanlehin, Sunday Dare, and Arthur Worrey, amongst others. All these individuals who have gone on to have accomplished careers in the public and private sectors by virtue of their own abilities are Lagosians by their contributions to the growth and prosperity of the state. But none of them is from Lagos. I learned from Asiwaju that what matters is the quality of the person, not where they come from, their gender or religion.
“You will never succeed in building such a team if you focus on asking questions about which God a person prays to, which language one speaks, and which church they attend. These questions don’t speak to the quality of a human being. More often than not, they reflect the prejudices and limited vision of the person asking the question.
“Asiwaju taught us that the promise of democracy is not perfection. The promise of democracy is accommodation and dedication to service in the best interest of the collective. And we learned from Asiwaju that the private ambitions of any one individual must never take preeminence over the shared interests of the community, the party, or the country.”
