TAMBUWAL SET TO DUMP PDP FOR APC, ATIKU STILL CONSULTING. The All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to officially take over the leadership of the House of Representatives this week with the planned defection of the Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, and some lawmakers to the party. A source said at the weekend that barring any last minute changes, Tambuwal might defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC tomorrow when the House reconvenes from the yuletide holiday. He said plans had been concluded for his defection along with other PDP lawmakers to the opposition party. It was gathered that while plans were being made for Tambuwal’s defection, it was however not certain how many lawmakers would defect with him to APC. In the wake of the defection of five PDP governors to the opposition party, 37 lawmakers have crossed over to APC to give it a majority in the House, notching up its numerical strength in the House to 174 lawmakers with that of PDP dropping to 172. Should Tambuwal defect to APC as being planned, PDP would lose its leadership of the lower chamber of the National Assembly and this will make the opposition party to be in control of the lower chamber. It will also be the first time, since the rebirth of democracy in the country in 1999, that an opposition party will be in control of a critical chamber of the legislative arm of government. Meanwhile former Vice President Atiku Abubakah yesterday urged APC to give him more time to make up his mind. The former vice-president, who was responding to inquiries from the APC on when he would join the party, said in a letter he personally signed that he would continue the consultations in the next few weeks. According to him, “And for the next few weeks, I will be travelling across the country in continuation of the consultative process. I will continue to listen to the hopes and fears of our people, so that together, we can build a future that we all can be proud of. I believe that this consultative process will reinforce our shared values and throw up a new way forward for our dear country.”
Posted on: Mon, 20 Jan 2014 17:43:46 +0000
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