Unknown to the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Northern leaders gave their backing to
Speaker Aminu Tambuwal’s defection to the All Progressives Congress(APC).
It was also learnt that the mace of the House of Representatives has been relocated to a safe location to
prevent any plot to reconvene the chamber while on recess.
According to sources, Tambuwal made extensive consultations with key leaders in the North and governors
before defecting to APC.
It was also gathered that some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors in the North supported the
speaker.
A source, who played an important role in the consultations, said: “The defection of the Speaker was a
consequence of painstaking consultations with top Nigerians, especially Northern leaders.
“These consultations involved shuttling from one geopolitical zone to the other. At a point, a committee was
raised to weigh all options. At the end, the Speaker bowed to superior argument that he should defect.
“Some governors made strategic input into the movement of the Speaker.
“So, it will be tactically wrong for either the Presidency or the PDP to assume that the Speaker is alone.”
A Principal Officer of the House, who spoke in confidence, said: “Most members of the House were carried
along in making the final decision to defect.
“Some members were as aggrieved as the Speaker and they felt he should lead while they will follow later.
“One thing I can tell you that the defection is a popular one among members. Tambuwal surely enjoys high-
level of confidence from members.
“This is why PDP must tread softly because ‘this is politics before 2015 politics’. It will be a costly mistake
to destabilise the House.”
Just a few hours after Tambuwal’s defection, the mace has been kept in safe custody to pre-empt any plan
to reconvene the House before December 3.
APC National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun last night welcomedTambuwal to the party.
Speaking on Channel Television prime time news last night, he said: “The body language” of the Speaker all
along showed that he was not at home where he was.
He described his defection from the PDP as the practice all over the land started by the PDP which poached
governors from the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA),
saying it is settled that people could move across parties.
He expressed hope that the PDP would not allow its impunity to take over it to attempt to force the Speaker
out of office.
According to him, the case between former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former President Olusegun
Obasanjo had decided that one could leave the party that elected him and run for election on another party.
He hailed Tambuwal for the tactful way he had managed the affairs of the House since his election as
speaker in 2011.

thenationonlineng.net/new/northern-leaders-governors-back-speaker/

Impeach him.

^^^Let them try.