Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has assured the National Leader of All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, that he would get to his political destination.
Gbajabiamila, who stated this at a welcome-back event held in honour of Tinubu in Lagos on Sunday, also described the former Lagos governor as “an eagle”.
The event was attended by Tinubu himself; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his deputy, Femi Hamzat; Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, and other APC chieftains in Lagos.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that Tinubu came back into Nigeria on Friday after spending over three months in London where he underwent a knee surgery and physiotherapy. Scores of politicians including the Speaker had visited Tinubu while he was in London
Addressing Tinubu and others at the event on Sunday, Gbajabiamila, 59, described the ex-Lagos governor as a father and grandfather to many, adding that only 69-year-old Tinubu would be sick and head of state, governors, lawmakers, commissioners would flock to his abode in faraway London and turn it to a Mecca.
The Speaker also said the history of Nigeria cannot be written politically without the APC National Leader occupying 75 per cent of the pages.
Gbajabiamila, who has been in the green chamber since 2003 representing Surulere I Constituency of Lagos State, said, “When Asiwaju got in some couple of days ago, I sent a text message to somebody very close to me who understands my passion and what Asiwaju is to me and to all of us.
The text message only had four words: the eagle has landed. I chose my words carefully. Everybody knows the eagle but many of us may not understand the characteristics, the importance of the eagle.
“The eagle has longevity, the eagle is strong, the eagle is focused, the eagle flies high at 10,000 ft, unlike many other birds. So, the eagle has landed.”
Gbajabiamila also claimed there was a different “electricity and energy” within the political class in Lagos since the return of Tinubu.
Continuing, the Speaker said, “Asiwaju, the northern caucus came to see you; it was a message. If you aren’t back, the southern caucus was coming to London and they cut across party lines.
“Where you are going is destined; it is destined. There are men and there are men. Lesser men would have crumbled. The pressure you are under, the pressure you have faced, lesser men would crumbled.”
Though Tinubu has yet to declare his intention to contest any office in 2023, there have been reports and veiled indications that he might be interested in the presidency seat.
While in London, members of the House of Representatives from the north led by Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, had also visited the APC chieftain and endorsed his candidacy for the 2023 presidency.
A day before his arrival in Nigeria, Sanwo-Olu and other party chieftains in Lagos had launched South-West Agenda 2023, a political movement mobilising support for Tinubu to contest the 2023 presidential election.
