Former Lawmakers Distance Themselves from Ex-Legislators’ Summit Endorsing Tinubu
At least 17 former members of Nigeria’s National Assembly have publicly disassociated themselves from a recent gathering of ex-legislators reportedly convened to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
The meeting, organised under the platform of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), was said to have taken place on Saturday, with the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, serving as convener.
The summit reportedly attracted notable political figures, including former Senate Presidents Pius Anyim and Ken Nnamani, alongside past Speakers of the House of Representatives Patricia Eteh and Yakubu Dogara, among others.
However, in swift reaction, a faction of former lawmakers issued a joint statement rejecting any association with the event. They insisted they neither attended nor authorised any forum aimed at endorsing the President’s re-election bid.
In the statement, the group declared, “We state clearly, firmly, and without apology: we are not, and will never be, part of any contrived summit of ex-legislators being hurriedly assembled to endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambition,” according to the signatories.
They further alleged that the endorsement initiative was driven by financial inducements rather than broad-based consultation, arguing that legitimacy could not be purchased.
Describing the gathering as a staged political show, they said, “This gathering is nothing but a cash-and-carry political carnival, a rented crowd of handpicked individuals assembled to manufacture artificial legitimacy,” according to the statement.
The former legislators also warned against the use of their identities for political branding, stressing that a small circle could not claim to represent the collective voice of former lawmakers nationwide. “You cannot assemble a handful of loyalists behind closed doors, distribute inducements, and then falsely claim to speak for the conscience of hundreds of former legislators across Nigeria. That is deception.
That is manipulation. That is democratic fraud,” the statement added.
They emphasized that former legislators should not be treated as political commodities. “Former legislators are not for sale.
Our names are not commodities. Our legacy is not merchandise,” according to the group.
The dissidents also urged the current administration to prioritise governance outcomes over political endorsements, noting that public support should be earned through performance.
“If this administration believes it deserves a second term, let it present tangible results to Nigerians — security restored, hunger reduced, jobs created, and the economy stabilised. Endorsements do not govern a nation; performance does,” the statement read.
The group concluded by fully distancing itself from any endorsement issued in its name and condemned what it described as the commercialisation of democratic structures.
“Our voices cannot be rented. Nigeria’s democracy will not be auctioned to the highest bidder,” they said.
Among the signatories are Hon. Sergius Oguns, Hon. Herman Hembe, Hon. Sam Okwu, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, Hon. Tom Zakari, Hon. Mohammed Soba, Hon. Chika Adamu, Hon. Sadiq Ibrahim, Hon. Tajudeen Ajagbe, Hon. Supo Abiodun, Hon. Danlad Donald Olayonu, Hon. Abubakar Amuda Kannike, Hon. Rufus Omiri, Hon. Mayor Eze, Hon. Kamil Akinlabi, Hon. Shaaba Ibrahim, and Hon. Uko Nkole.
