Indications that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)may not be able to change the leadership of the House of Representatives emerged on Tuesday with a tepid statement from the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisah Metuh, asking the Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, to consider the morality of defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and still holding his position. The PDP National Working Committee had hurriedly met with the leadership of the House of Representatives on its side of the divide in order to act on Tambuwal’s defection. But the statement, devoid of the usual strong language reserved for the opposition by Metuh revealed a shocked PDP that does not have an answer to the defection. After months of speculations about Tambuwal’s romance with the opposition APC, the Speaker finally addressed his colleagues in the lower chamber of parliament on Tuesday, disclosing that he has joined the party. “Based on our extant laws and the provisions of our Constitution, and having regard for the political developments in my state, I hereby announce my membership of the All Progressives Congress,†he said. Expressing gratitude to his colleagues for standing by him since his election as Speaker, he urged them to remain steadfast as they “work together to further the common good of our dear nationâ€. But Metuh, in his statement said, “The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has met with PDP leaders in the House of Representatives concerning the defection of the Speaker, His Excellency, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to the APC. “After a thorough consideration of the matter, the NWC came to a conclusion that the Hon. Speaker, as a responsible elected officer, knows full well what is needful and honourable of him since his new party is in the minority. “We are not unmindful of the fact that Hon. Tambuwal became Speaker on the platform of the PDP as the political party with the majority of seats in the House of Representatives and that this incontrovertible fact has not changed.” However, a jubilant APC was in celebration mood on its website (apc.ng) on Tuesday with a salacious story on Tambuwal’s defection. According to the APC, “It was an atmosphere of jubilation as well as mourning on the floor of the House of Representatives today as the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal declared for the All Progressives party, APC. “At exactly 12:24pm Tambuwal In a short speech at the end of plenary, said he was defecting to the APC for political reasons adding that the yearning of his people in Sokoto State necessitates the decision.  This puts to rest the avalanche of speculations on if or when he would defect. Some members of the PDP were in tears yesterday as Tambuwal declared.  However, the APC Caucus in the House led by Femi Gbajabiamila said they would be stimulated into doing more by Tambuwal’s defection, adding that nothing has changed in the House as all members would work together for the advancement of the Parliament and greater good if the Nigerian people. “The speaker, for months, denied he was moving to the APC despite openly associating with the party.  The clearest indication he had joined the party came more than a week ago when he attended a meeting of the opposition party in Sokoto State. He said the state governor, Aliyu Wammako, had invited him for the meeting after he was snubbed by a visiting PDP delegation to the state, led by Tony Anenih, the Board of Trustees chairman.  Mr. Tambuwal is expected to contest for the governorship of his native Sokoto State. “His months of denial is believed to have been informed by his concerns about losing his position as the speaker.  Shortly after the declaration Tuesday, Mr. Tambuwal adjourned sitting of the lower house of parliament to December 3.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 09:14:31 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015