NIGERIA- Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has debunked speculation that he is lobbying to be appointed as Chief of Staff to the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu.
Gbajabiamila, who has been representing the Surulere I Federal Constituency of Lagos since 2003, is a key loyalist of Tinubu’s.
While other elected members of the 10th House of Representatives were at the International Conference Centre (ICC) to collect their certificates of return, the Speaker was noticeably absent last week.
As a result of his absence, there were reports that Gbajabiamila was lobbying to be appointed as chief of staff to Tinubu.
However, speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday, Gbajabiamila said he “knows nothing” about lobbying for the job.
“I don’t know anything about that chief of staff thing,” Gbajabiamila said.
“All I heard was that I didn’t come here last week to pick up my certificate and for that reason, somebody conjectured that must be about something about Chief of Staff.
“I was in Lagos and I could not leave Lagos because I was campaigning for my party. That’s number one.
“Again, it’ll interest you to know that I was not here four years ago to pick up my certificate because I couldn’t make it. I don’t think it is anything significant. I’ll pick up my certificate today or tomorrow.”
