As the race for the Federal House of Representatives speaker hots up, fresh facts have emerged on why northern leaders are against the aspiration of Hon. Tajudeen Abass.
Abbas who passes as one of the high-ranking lawmakers in the House is said to be of south west extraction and a stooge of outgoing Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.
It was further revealed that there have been dissention from several quarters regarding Hon Abass passing himself off as representing the northern interest as speaker of the House of Representatives.
According to a source who pleaded anonymity, the northern power brokers are poised to challenge the choice of Hon Tajudeen Abass.
A source who craved anonymity because of the fear of repercussion said: ” It would be a difficult run for Gbaja and his other sponsors. Tajudeen is not a core northerner and can’t represent our interest.
” We are in the know of the alliance with the Speaker (Gbajabiamila) to inflict Tajudeen on us. But I can tell you that plans are underway to present and endorse a credible northern candidate.”
Another source, who is an aide to a well-respected northern political leader, maintained that Hon Tajudeen Abass needs to have the support of the north in his political aspiration.
He said, “I can tell you that Hon Tajudeen Abass will not get the support from stakeholders in the north. As a first, his origin is in question and his competence, integrity and track record is nothing to write home about.
” This is a sensitive matter and has dominated the discourse in several fora I have attended with my boss. Surprisingly, the name featured prominently is another ranking House member, whose leadership will project the national interest while safeguarding the north as well. And the support is overwhelming. Whatever it is worth, this preferred candidate stands a better chance of getting support from northern stakeholders. ”
This statement was corroborated by recent endorsements of other speaker hopefuls by several northern oriented groups. The endorsements do not include Hon. Tajudeen Abass.
According to a source in the leadership of one of the groups, the lack of support for Hon Abass is not unconnected with his lack of track record and utter rejection by respected northern individuals and groups.
“We were convinced Hon Tajudeen Abass does not make the list because of his lack of track record in the House of Representatives. It is a struggle to see any footprint of his in terms of contributions to the growth and unity of the country.
“You only need to look at his lack of appeal across the board and the likes. Undoubtedly, he is not even prepared for the job. I see how the only endorsement he has is that of a dictatorial state governor. He has not gotten the endorsement of key figures in the northern political landscape. ”
When pressed further on why he vehemently dismissed the chances of Hon Tajudeen Abass, he said the lawmaker is a selfish politician who doesn’t represent the interest of his colleagues and Nigerians.
“Hon Tajudeen Abass is not a sell-able aspirant. The question is, do the northerners see him as one of them? This has been a topic for several years and won’t stop anytime soon. The man is just an extension of Gbaja, selfish and greedy.”
A lawmaker of Northern origin who didn’t want his name in print stated that Hon Tajudeen Abass is not considered a Northerner.
” Honestly, Hon Tajudeen should not ridicule himself. The northern legislators are behind Hon Aliyu Muktar Betera. It won’t work because we want someone we can call our own, not some puppet.
“The National Assembly is not Kaduna state. He has to accept this fact and stop all the manoeuvrings. We are resolute in this regard. There is no way Hon Tajudeen Abass will emerge as a speaker without the support of the northern caucus in the House of Representatives.”