Tambuwal, Nigeria’s Speaker joins opposition party, APC

After several months of speculations, Aminu Tambuwal, speaker, House of Representatives, on Tuesday, finally dumped the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Tambuwal announced his defection shortly after Mulikat Akande-Adeola (PDP-Oyo), the House leader, moved a motion for the House to adjourn sitting till December 3.

In his short address, Tambuwal said: “Pursuant to the extant provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and having regards to development in my home state of Sokoto, I wish to hereby formally notify you of my membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Let me register my profound appreciation to all of you my colleagues for the unflinching support you have continued to extend to me and the great sacrifice you are making in the pursuit of the overall national interest and the development of constitutional democracy.”

In a swift reaction, the principal officers of the ruling party, the PDP, expressed shock over Tambuwal’s decision, just as they threatened to watch his activities with “eagle eyes”.

The PDP lawmakers however ruled out the possibility of removing or impeaching the speaker, considering the provision of the constitution, which provides that such impeachment can be achieved through two-thirds majority.

Shortly after the close of plenary, Femi Gbajabiamila, minority leader, who led the opposition lawmakers to a press briefing, described Tambuwal’s defection as historic.

While welcoming the speaker to the APC fold, Gbajabiamila described him as a bridge builder, assuring that even with the defection; the opposition would not renege in its support to the House leadership under Tambuwal.

He said: “Ever since the crisis started in PDP, which led to the formation of the ‘New PDP’ and the defection of five PDP governors, 37 PDP members of the House of Representatives to the APC, and the formal merger of the ‘New PDP’ with the APC, we had all along known that this day will come.

“We are proud to acknowledge that the speaker remains not only a member of the House of Representatives but also its speaker. This position is consistent with the law and practice in a presidential system of government.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the constitution requires only that speaker or deputy speaker of the House of Representatives shall be elected by members of that House from among themselves.

“Rt. Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has been a speaker for all the members, all the political parties and for all Nigerians and will so continue. As a caucus, we pledge our continued support to the current leadership of the House of Representatives.

“We will not do anything to destabilise the institution of the House of Representatives, so that it will continue to deliver on the mandates given to its members by Nigerians. More than ever before there is need for vigilance and focus on the concerns of the Nigerian people who elected all of us.”

Samson Osagie, minority whip, explained that the adjournment of plenary till December 3 was in the best interest of the entire House.

He further assured that the ad-hoc committee on Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) will have adequate time to fine-tune its report before final consideration by members.

Mulikat Akande-Adeola, majority leader, who denied prior knowledge of the speaker’s declaration, said, “This is a party affair. Members take decision on the floor, based on party. So, the party will take decision at the appropriate time.”

Meanwhile, following Tambuwal’s defection, the National Working Committee of the PDP has met with PDP leaders at the lower House.

Consequently, the ruling party has called on the embattled speaker to do the “needful” by relinquishing his seat since he has become a member of a minority party in the House.

In a statement signed by the national publicity secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, on Tuesday, the party said: “We are not unmindful of the fact that Tambuwal became speaker on the platform of the PDP as the political party with the majority of seats in the House of Representatives and this incontrovertible fact has not changed”.

Also speaking on the matter yesterday, Akwa-Ibom State governor and chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum, Godswill Akpabio, urged the speaker to do the “honourable thing” without prompting.

He stated that “we had always suspected that the speaker of the House of Representatives was in name a PDP member but in action an opposition party member”, adding that what happened yesterday was a culmination of what they had always suspected all along.

Tambuwal from Sokoto State, who is said to be nursing gubernatorial ambition, had consistently manifested the attributes of an opposition member ,even while in the PDP. On many issues, he had taken the Executive arm to task.

His emergence as the speaker of the House in the first place was a product of rebellion. Contrary to the decision of his party to elect  Mulikat Akande-Adeola, from the South West, where the slot had been zoned, as the speaker, Tambuwal, in cahoots with opposition members in the lower house, emerged winner of the election that was witnessed by leaders of his party.

Ever since he emerged the speaker of the lower legislative House, Tambuwal had not spared the Presidency. On several occasions, he had resisted the Executive on national issues and had also lashed out at President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration over alleged inability to check monumental corruption in the system.

Following the gale of defections that hit the PDP at the National Assembly in January, the leadership of PDP at a caucus meeting, advised him to declare vacant, the seats of the defectors in the House, but Tambuwal was said to have pointedly told them that the legislators did not commit any constitutional crime by their defection. He was quoted as saying that there was no reason to infringe on members’ fundamental rights of free association, and that

“There’s no law in this country that prohibits cross-carpeting.”

Pundits believe that the speaker’s heart was long gone out of PDP before his body. His romance with the opposition was no secret to Aso Rock and Wadata House (PDP national secretariat) who had since been dealing with him as a “rebellious” child.

Tambuwal’s defection has been described as a big blow to PDP, after the party last year lost five governors in a single swoop.

Recall that on August 31, at the party’s special congress at the Eagle Square, seven governors staged a walkout, led by former vice president Atiku Abubakar. Among them was also Kawu Baraje, a former acting national chairman of the PDP. When the dust settled, five of the governors joined the All Progressive Congress (APC).

ZEBULON AGOMUO, KEHINDE AKINTOLA & OWEDE AGBAJILEKE