Speaker Disowns Aide over Interview Denigrating Buhari 

*Lauds Adamu, says he’s a pillar of support to N’Assembly

Juliet Akoje in Abuja. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has disowned an interview by one of his aides, who denigrated for president Muhammadu Buhari, saying it was a personal opinion not authorised by him or his office. 

Also, yesterday, Abbas lauded the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and described as a pillar of support to the National Assembly, saying they would remain loyal and committed to the ideals of the party.

A statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker,  Mr Musa Abdullahi Krishi, he said the interview granted by one of the speaker’s aides to a national daily in which he made some unsuitable comments remains his opinion. 

The statement read: “For the record, the said aide, by the name Hon. Godfrey Gaiya, did not have the imprimatur of the Speaker to grant such an interview. Therefore, the comments made were those of Godfrey Gaiya and not Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Speaker, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas (PhD), has a Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, who serves as his spokesman. All official statements from the Speaker come from his spokesman.

“It is pertinent to mention that the Speaker has tremendous respect for and enjoys same from former president, Muhammadu Buhari, and the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir Ahmed El-rufai, and will not say or do anything that will negatively affect his good relationship with them.”

However, Abbas and his deputy, Benjamin Kalu, in another statement by Krishi, visited Adamu on sallah homage, and said Adamu has led the party to victory at the 2023 general elections and ensured the emergence of the leadership of the 10th Assembly in line with APC’s zoning arrangement.

Adamu, responding, thanked the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and other APC members of the House for being loyal to the party, especially during the inauguration of the 10th House.