The House of Representatives Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, has revealed how he was prevailed upon to continue with his aspiration to be part of principal officers in the 8th House of Representatives.
He said his insistence on throwing in the towel in the 49-day old face-off was rejected by higher authorities based on principle.
Gbajabiamila lost the Speakership position to Yakubu Dogara in an election conducted on the floor of the House but entered the race for the position of House Leader that was resisted by the Dogara group.
Speaking at a media parley on Friday, the former Minority Leader, said he was pained that the face -off was manipulated to center around his person.
He said: “A lot of people do not know this, but long time ago, I saw the President, I saw my party, I explained to them that this thing has been framed to be about me.
“So I said I wanted to withdraw for the sake of the House and the country. I told them I would leave this thing in a heartbeat without even thinking about it and I will go and sit on the floor of the House, without even accepting anything, not even chairmanship.
“I have never been a committee chairman or deputy, I have never even asked. So I told them, I have turned things down.”
On why he continued with the struggle despite his resolve to withdraw from the race, Gbajabiamila said the issue got beyond him at that point.
He said President Mohammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) declined his offer to withdraw from the race,
“But on principle, the President did not accept it, my party did not accept it and I thank God for the kind of confidence they have in me to be able to deliver the goods for the party. Who am I to say no? It was on principle that we stayed the course,” he said.
He, however, expressed his support for the full disclosure of lawmakers’ remunerations.
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