Aminu Sani Jaji, a candidate for Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 10th National Assembly, has stated that he did not avoid meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
On Wednesday, President Tinubu met behind closed doors with the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators-elect and House Representative members-elect.
However, reports surfaced that Jaji and Deputy Speaker Idris Wase were conspicuously absent from the meeting due to their refusal to accept Tajudeen Abass as the APC’s anointed candidate for Speaker.
However, the convener of Jaji Support Group, Sanni Mustapha, confirmed in a statement on Thursday that the lawmaker was in the meeting with Tinubu and would never refuse the president’s call.
Mustapha went on to say that the lawmaker was crucial to the president’s electoral success and would not do anything to undermine his leadership.
“Jaji and the President have a long-standing political relationship that transcends House of Representatives politics,” according to the statement. Aminu Sani Jaji met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other speakership aspirants on Wednesday night. The meeting took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja to discuss the ongoing leadership squabble in the National Assembly.
“According to reports, the President urged lawmakers to work with the party’s zoning for leadership positions in the Senate and House of Representatives, while emphatically stating his opposition to any candidate.”
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“Our supporters should disregard any suggestion that he deliberately avoided the meeting.” Hon. Jaji and Asiwaju have a long history together.
“As the APC Presidential Campaign Council’s Director of Contact and Mobilisation in the North West, our leader worked tirelessly to ensure the party’s victory at the polls.”
“Those behind the story are only trying to blackmail him out of the race, which he is poised to win, because a picture of him with other aspirants and the President is already in the public domain.”
