For defecting to the main opposition party, All Progressives Party (APC) the leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, to immediately tender his resignation letter.
Tambuwal announced his cross-carpeting to members of the House on Tuesday, confirming speculation that had since taken the centre-stage of his likely defection.
It was learnt that Tambuwal moved over to APC, partly to actualise his dream of becoming the next governor of Sokoto State after it was zoned to his senatorial district and to end the mudslinging that had existed between him and President Goodluck Jonathan.
Loyalists of the Speaker said he had made many overtures in the past and even met party leaders to mediate in the crisis to no avail.
It was learnt that Tambuwal had weighed the option of seeking the governorship mandate through the APC as he believes he would be frustrated by the presidency if he decided to stick to the PDP and seek the governorship ticket through the party.
Tambuwal made the announcement after the House adjourned sitting to 3rd December to enable members pursue their individual political interests.
Reacting to the defection later on Tuesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement, said the National Working Committee of the party had met with the leadership of the party in the House of Representatives following Tambuwal’s defection and that the party leadership has demanded for the resignation of the Speaker since he has left the party.
Though Tambuwal was elected on the platform of the PDP, his emergence as the Speaker was aided by members of the APC in the House who did not want a candidate endorsed by the PDP at that time.
Metuh said after a thorough review of the situation, the party’s National Working Committee decided that the Speaker, as a responsible elected officer, knows fully well what is honourable of him to do 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,” Metuh said.
But some members of the party told Huhuonline.com on the phone, that it would be difficult to remove Tambuwal since many of the members saw him as one with integrity and efficiency.
They said the Speaker has proven his worth and that as it is now, many of the members are even battling with their state governors and party concerning their tickets and would therefore not find the time to rally against Tambuwal till when the House resumes.
“Moreover, the constitution does not state that the Speaker must come from the party with the highest number of members at the House, but it is just what obtains across most countries of the world. This is another thing concerning this defection,” a member of the House told Huhuonline.com.
