Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, has declared that the state’s support to Femi Gbajabiamila’s aspiration to be the next Speaker of a House of Representatives was a long concluded deal.
The governor stated this yesterday when Gbajabiamila, who was accompanied by over 100 members of the House, took his campaign to Borno State.
Zulum, while receiving the delegation at Government House in Maiduguri, said: “We’ve had an extensive deliberation with my predecessor, Governor Kashim Shettima, who is now senator-elect and we have all agreed to align our interests with that of the party at the national level and the federal government.
“We are all aware of how the Boko Haram insurgency had dealt Borno a great blow and we are grateful for the support we have so far enjoyed from the Federal Government.
“We are also grateful to the National Assembly for passing the North-east Development Commission Bill which has been signed into law by Mr President.
“That Act means a lot to us the people of the North-east and Borno State in particular, and we assure you that Borno is going to return this gesture by supporting the popular interest of the National Assembly.”
He, however, called on Gbajabiamila to ensure the lawmakers from Borno State “are carried along when he eventually emerged Speaker of the 9th Assembly”.
On his part, Gbajabiamila thanked Borno State for “the first support that came through one of the lawmakers from the state, Muktari Betara”, one of the contenders who stepped down for him.
He said he considered Borno as his ‘stronghold’ because “all the ten members of the federal house of reps from the state’ are backing his candidacy.
He congratulated Governor Zulum on his inauguration even as he promised to work closely with him.
“We assure you that the 9th National Assembly will certainly be much better than the 8th Assembly,” he said.
”I also want to assure your Excellency of the full support of the National Assembly towards the rebuilding of Borno State.”
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