The speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has distanced himself from the remarks made by his aide, Godfrey Gaiya, in an interview that was perceived as insulting and disparaging towards former President Muhammadu Buhari. In a statement issued by his special adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Kirshi, it was clarified that Gaiya’s comments about Mr. Buhari were his personal opinion and not representative of the speaker’s views.
The interview reportedly contained statements in which Gaiya criticized Mr. Buhari, claiming that the former president had not met the expectations of Nigerians and had fostered corruption, nepotism, and hardship in the country. However, the statement from the speaker’s office stressed that these views were not endorsed or supported by Tajudeen Abbas.
The comments made by Mr. Gaiya in the interview reflect his personal views and opinions about former President Muhammadu Buhari. He expressed his belief that Mr. Buhari had failed in various aspects of his leadership, including allegations of corruption and a high level of indebtedness in the country during his administration.
It is important to note that these remarks were made by Mr. Gaiya as an individual and do not represent the official stance of the speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, as clarified in the statement from the speaker’s office.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, clarified that the interview conducted by his aide, Hon. Godfrey Gaiya, was done without his knowledge or consent. The Speaker stated that Gaiya did not have his authorization to grant such an interview, and therefore, the comments made in the interview were solely the personal opinions of Gaiya and not representative of Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
The Speaker emphasized that he has an appointed Special Adviser on Media and Publicity who serves as his official spokesman, and all official statements from the Speaker are issued through this designated spokesperson.
The statement reiterated that the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, holds a great deal of respect for former President Muhammadu Buhari and the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai. It emphasized that the Speaker values his positive relationship with them and would not engage in any actions or make statements that could harm that relationship. The public was urged to take note of this clarification.