Buhari is disrespecting Tinubu - Lagos Assembly

The Lagos State House of Assembly has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is showing disrespect for a national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, by making appointments without the latter’s knowledge and taking major decisions without consulting him on his view or opinion.

Speaking at the House’s plenary on Tuesday, Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Tunde Braimoh, said Mr Tinubu’s political power and influence can never be whittled down by anybody.

Mr. Braimoh led his colleagues to drum up support for Tinubu, in the wake of a recent face-off he had with the national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

Braimoh and his colleagues questioned the “silence” of the presidency over the development, especially given the “years of sacrifice and financial commitments” Tinubu gave to the emergence of APC.

Speaking under “Matter of Public Urgency,” session, Braimoh and other lawmakers pointed out that an insult to the personality of Tinubu was synonymous with an insult to the entire Yoruba race, especially given the leadership role he (Tinubu) had played in the unification of Yoruba nation.

Tinubu had asked Oyegun to resign as National Chairman, alleging that he worked with anti-democratic forces within the party to scuttle the will of party members in the party’s governorship primary in Ondo State. Oyegun responded by describing the content of Tinubu’s statement as “reckless and false”.

Braimoh said: “The entire situation does not speak well for the internal democracy of our great party, and efforts must be put in place by all stakeholders to arrive at a quick resolution. Therefore, to achieve this, we call on the leadership of the APC to call the party’s executive to order, with a view to ensuing that adequate respect and honour is given to the leaders of the party, including Tinubu,” he said.

The move was supported by many members of the House, including some of the principal officers – Deputy Speaker, Wasiu Sanni-Eshilokun; Majority Leader, Sanai Agunbiade and the Deputy Majority Leader, Bayo Jimoh, who unanimously remarked that the “ongoing fight is not just against Tinubu, but against vision and posterity,” while also adding that “Tinubu is too big a personality anybody could toy with.”

In his submission, the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa stated that President Muhammadu Buhari should play the role of a father and unite everybody rather than be seen as apathetic to the development.

“The signal coming from the presidency is not good enough. Appointments had been made without Tinubu’s knowledge, and major decisions had been made without adequate consideration given for his view and opinion. We believe this is not good enough and it is a sign of disrespect for a personality like Tinubu whose contributions to the consummation of the APC in Nigeria can never be brushed aside” Obasa added.

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