The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has asked
Honourable Aminu Tambuwal, the Speaker of the House of Representatives to
resign following his defection to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC
on Tuesday.
The ruling party asked the Speaker to resign since his new party
is a minority in the House. It was gathered that the National Working Committee
of PDP had met with its members in the House at an emergency session shortly
after today’s sitting of the lower chamber.
“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,” PDP NWC concluded in the statement.
Supporters of the Tambuwal had ahead of his defection argued
that the Constitution did not stipulate that the Speaker of the House must be
elected from the majority party.
Hence, they argued that Tambuwal will not resign in spite of
his defection to a party which is in minority in the House.
Olisa Metuh, PDP National Publicity Secretary
Olisa Metuh, PDP National Publicity Secretary
Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, the leader of APC Caucus in
the House said the defection of the Speaker will motivate the House to work
harder. would be stimulated into doing more.
He added that nothing has changed in the House as all
members would work together for the benefit of the the legislative chamber and
greater good if the Nigerian people, implying that the Speaker may not vacate
his position with the defection.
The Speaker had after today’s session adjourned the plenary
of the House to 3 December, a move is seen as a ploy by the to stop the likely
rumpus his defection may cause in the House dominated by the PDP.
Tambuwal had on Tuesday formally announced his defection
from the Peoples PDP to APC.
The Speaker who had been known to be close to leaders of the
opposition party formally announced his defection to the admiration of members
of APC in the House.
In a short speech at the end of plenary, said he was
defecting to the APC for political reasons adding that he only responded to the
yearning of his people in Sokoto State in taking the decision.
He added that his decision to leave PDP followed months of consultations
he had embarked on.
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.
It was believed that the Speaker who was once ranked among
the presidential hopefuls of APC is now gunning to become the next Governor of
Sokoto, his home States. Governor Aliyu Wamako, the incumbent Governor of the
State defected to APC alongside five other governors of the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP late last year.
Wamako is believed to be the political godfather of Tambuwal
and he is said to favour the governor as his successor.
Though the Speaker has long be rumoured to be a closet
member of APC, rumours of his eventual defection reached its peak when it was
reported last week that he attended the meeting of APC in Sokoto convened to
choose a consensus candidates for the state’s gubernatorial and other
elections.
Tambuwal was said to have told the gathering to accept him
as “one of you starting from today”.
It was gathered that with today’s announcement, Tambuwal
would be able to attend the extra ordinary convention of APC scheduled for
tomorrow. It was not yet known if the Speaker will vacate his seat as a result
of the defection.
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