Strong indications have emerged that
President Goodluck Jonathan and the
leadership of the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) are unhappy with
the deputy speaker of the House of
Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha,
over the latter’s private reception for
Speaker Aminu Tambuwal a few hours
after the speaker defected from the PDP
to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on
Wednesday.
The reception which was said to have
taken place at the deputy speaker’s guest
house on Pope John Paul Street, off Gana
Street, Maitama, Abuja, few hours after
the mini-national convention of the APC,
was attended by most members of APC in
the House.
Ihedioha has, however, dismissed the
report as ‘not sensible’ while Tambuwal
directed all enquiries on the matter to the
deputy speaker’s men.
The reception, which was initially meant
to be a private one for Tambuwal, was
later ‘invaded’ by other members of the
lower chamber, including some PDP
members, a reliable source told our
correspondent.
A presidential aide told our correspondent
yesterday in Abuja that the deputy
speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, had been
asked to explain which master he had
elected to serve “because we cannot
understand why he chose to host Speaker
Aminu Tambuwal to a warm reception a
few hours after he defected from our
party to APC.
“Is the deputy speaker with us or he is
planning to move to the APC with his
boss? The PDP deserves an answer from
him.’’
The presidential aide asserted that, at
this ‘critical moment of political decision,’
President Jonathan wanted to be very
clear on whose side the deputy speaker
belonged.
The presidential aide continued: “You
know this man (referring to Ihedioha)
cannot be trusted; he has consistently
worked against the party in the past. He
now appears to be working for the PDP
because of his 2015 political interest. But
even at that, we do not know where he
truly belongs.”
When contacted, the media adviser to
Tambuwal, Malam Imam Imam, said all
clarifications on the issue should be
referred to Ihedioha’s aides.
The chief press secretary to the deputy
speaker, Oke Epia, however, described the
report as inconsequential.
“This is a non-issue; are those behind
this saying the deputy speaker would
want to do that to show that he is in
APC? I can tell you that this is not a
sensible thing at all,”Epia said.
The development came as the presidency
was said to have directed the Nigeria
Police Force, State Security Service (SSS)
and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence
Corps (NSCDC) to withdraw their security
personnel attached to the speaker for
defecting from the PDP to the APC.
The acting inspector-general of police,
Suleiman Abba, confirmed the
redeployment of the police personnel
attached to Tambuwal on Wednesday.
The force public relations officer,
Emmanuel Ojukwu, in a statement
yesterday in Abuja, hinged the withdrawal
of Tambuwal’s security aides on Section
68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as
amended).
Security details attached to the speaker
were said to have been withdrawn
yesterday morning.
After his defection on Wednesday,
Tambuwal vowed to work with his new
party to dislodge the ‘PDP cabal’ from
power in the 2015 general election.
“We came to work this morning and what
we found was that all the security men
did not report for duty. We are puzzled
but that is the situation,” a National
Assembly aide said.
Tambuwal: Mr President, show better
understanding of democracy – APC
The APC has called on President Goodluck
Jonathan to show better understanding of
democracy by immediately restoring the
police security details that the inspector-
general of police (acting IGP) withdrew
from the speaker of the House of
Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri
Tambuwal.
In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday
by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji
Lai Mohammed, the APC described the
withdrawal of the speaker’s security
details as an usurpation of the role of the
judiciary by the police boss, especially
bearing in mind that the question of the
interpretation of Section 68(1)(g) of the
constitution he anchored his illegal act on
was before the courts for resolution.
The party said that, for the avoidance of
doubt, the position, including the manner
a person becomes the speaker of the
House of Representatives, is to be found
in the constitution, and no constitutional
provision or legislation says membership
of the ruling or dominant party in the
House is a pre-requisite.
Furthermore, as the number four citizen of
the nation, the security detail and
apparatuses attached to the person of the
speaker were not based on his lineage,
person and or political leaning, but on
account of the position and the protection
required for that position and in Nigeria’s
best interest.
“This unfortunate use and deployment of
Nigeria’s security forces in a partisan and
political way portends danger and further
weakens important institutions of
governance and jeopardises national
security. Under President Jonathan, we
now have a Police Force that is
monitoring and making conclusions with
respect to party membership,
qualification, of an otherwise elected
official. This is unheard of in any decent
democracy,” the party said.
The APC, therefore, enjoined President
Jonathan to respect and comply with the
law.
“We reject this meddling in the affairs of
the legislature, especially given the
resolution of President Jonathan and his
close advisers yesterday at their meeting
to ask the deputy speaker, Mr Emeka
Ihedioha, to unlawfully reconvene the
House before the adjourned date.
“May we remind President Goodluck
Jonathan that under the House Rules,
only a resolution by all principal officers
of the House and not even the speaker of
the House, can reconvene the House
before the adjourned date not to talk of
the deputy speaker?”
Tambuwal: We are not aware – PDP
The PDP yesterday said it was not aware
that the security detail of Speaker
Tambuwal had been withdrawn.
Reacting to the situation, spokesman of
the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the
party was not aware of the development.
When told that a statement to that effect
was released by the police, he replied:
“We have not seen it and we won’t
comment on it until we see it.”
I Didn’t Breach Any Law -Tambuwal
Speaker Tambuwal has reached to the
withdrawal of his security guards on the
directives of the acting inspector-general
of police, Suleiman Abba, saying he did
not breach any law.
In a statement issued by his special
adviser on Media and Public Affairs,
Malam Imam Imam, the speaker noted
that not only is the IGP’s action a
contempt of court, but a deliberate
attempt to cause him bodily harm.
In the said statement, the force said that,
by his defection from the PDP to the APC,
the speaker was in breach of Section
68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution and
was consequently no longer entitled to
police security, a position the party
faulted.
“The implication of the inspector
general’s statement is that as sanction
for this alleged constitutional breach, he
has removed Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
from office of the speaker House of
Representatives,” he said.
“As the number four citizen in the
hierarchy of protocol in the country, the
speaker is entitled to security protection
by the security agencies; therefore, we
see the action of the acting inspector
general of police as not only contempt of
the courts but a ploy to bring harm to the
person of Hon Tambuwal,”
SDP Condemns withdrawal of
Tambuwal’s security
The Social Democratic Party (SDP)
yesterday described the withdrawal of
Tambuwal’s security men as
undemocratic and a show of impunity
that will not augur well for the country.
A statement by the SDP national
secretary, Dr Sadiq Umar Abubakar, and
its national publicity secretary, Dr Abdul
Isiaq, also cautioned the inspector general
of Police, Suleiman Abba, to desist from
illegal acts but to be the professional
policeman that he was known to be by
restoring the security privileges of the
speaker.
They noted that the constitution gave
Tambuwal, as the number four citizen, the
privilege to be protected like the
president, the vice president, the Senate
president and others.
The statement read in part: “We therefore
condemn the act and ask for the
restoration of his security and other
privileges. This is beyond PDP, Jonathan
and APC, and it is the highest disregard
to constitution provisions and a show of
impunity that will not augur well for
democracy.”
The party reminded the IGP that his
loyalty was to the state and not to a
party, and that toeing the line of partiality
was a dangerous trend ahead of the 2014
polls.
The police should be fair and just to all,”
the party concluded.
Withdrawal of Tambuwal’s security aides,
double standard – Dabiri-Erewa
The chairperson, House of Representatives
Committee on Diaspora, Hon Abike Dabiri-
Erewa, has condemned the withdrawal of
the security aides of Speaker Tambuwal
by the IGP, Suleiman Abba, describing the
action as a show of double standard on
the part of the police.
In a message issued last night, the
lawmaker noted that true democracy
encourages freedom of expression and
association.
“The act of withdrawing Hon Tambuwal’s
security details endangers our democracy
and smacks of double standards! He is
still the number four citizen. The act is
petty, unnecessary and smacks of
desperation,” she stated.
HURIWA asks Presidency to restore
Tambuwal’s security
A civil society group, Human Rights
Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA),
has asked President Goodluck Jonathan
to order the immediate restoration of
Tambuwal’s security detailss and to
sanction administratively the top security
officials that gave the order.
In a statement jointly issued by the
national coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel
Onwubiko and the national media affairs
director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA said
it was the height illegality and impunity
for the top hierarchy of the police to strip
the nation’s munber four man of his
statutory security details “on the nebulous
and unqualified grounds that he switched
over his political allegiance from one
registered political party to another.”
Tambuwal: PPA berates Police
The leadership of the Progressive Peoples
Alliance (PPA) yesterday joined in the
condemnation of the Nigeria Police Force
for withdrawing security details attached
to Speaker Tambuwal following his
defection from the ruling PDP to the APC.
PPA national chairman, Comrade Peter
Ameh, who condemned the action in
strong terms, warned that rather than
drag President Goodluck Jonathan’s name
in the mud, the police should rise to its
constitutional mandate bytaking pro-
active and decisive measures to nip in the
bud the brewing crises in the country, so
that further threats to the peace and
stability in nation will be averted.
He said the police, by their act, not only
vindicated his party, but also displayed
inconsistency, and wondered why the
police failed to invoke the same section
68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution when
governors and other political office holders
defected from its party (PPA) to the PDP
and other platforms. leadership.ng/news/388732/aftermath-tambuwals-defection-presidency-pdp-move-emeka-ihedioha

So because waziri defected to Apc he shouldnt visit his deputy again meaning that one cant have frd in the oposition,smh 4 una

Tamuwal should vuluntarily resign his seat as speaker, since he is now with the minority in the house. He is free to retain his seat as a honurable member of the house.

The President is fast loosing it!!!

So Tambuwal n Ihedioha Should become Enemies because Tambuwal moved to another Party.

Hope u guys know dat Ihedioha also benefitted from Opposition dat made him deputy speaker

Desperado Jonathan always getting it wrong.

Ihedioha and Tambuwal are not enemies, are they?

Emeka Ihedioha should maintain his friendship with Tambuwal but I expect Emeka to as true friends would advise Tambuwal to uphold the constitution and tender his resignation.

If Tambuwal does not respect the constitution then Emeka owe himself, and Nigerians a duty to uphold the constitution by doing whatever is necessary to restore integrity to the house and remove Tambuwal!

The problem of GEJ, his party and supporters is that they always denied the reality.

Why is the President eager to know who was on his side, he has been living on denial of his emotions/himself and ppl around him play on his desperation and foolishness. Before end of December 2014.....we shall see which party laugh best, because I knew that PDP and GEJ will have their biggest shocker before the year's runs out and if APC do not manage her primaries very well, I am seeing another party (but not PDP or APC) wnning the presidency come 2015.

.

Can you imagine see how a whole president is embarrassing himself, and the NASS to can't warn him of playing with impeachment. People don't know their job. Too much old foolish people in high places in Nigeria that don't know what they are doing. Two sets of institutions demonstrating lack of professionalism as a matter of fact three sets of institutions that don't have a clue of what they are doing. The police makes the third institutions, can you imagine, these are the people we put our trust in to make decisions for us.

mikeansy:
Emeka Ihedioha should maintain his friendship with Tambuwal but I expect Emeka to as true friends would advise Tambuwal to uphold the constitution and tender his resignation.

If Tambuwal does to respect the constitution then Emeka owe himself, and Nigerians a duty to uphold the constitution by doing whatever is necessary to restore integrity to the house and remove Tambuwal!

so what about mmimiko what happened to him didn't he defect too.

Jonathan turns desperate, losing control and fighting every passive opposition, sign of poor leadership.

This Ihedioha must be a buffoon. How naive can one be? Even a neophyte would be able to study the prevailing political atmosphere/mood in his party's High Command and demonstrate better judgment. You can't dine with your master's enemy in the night and yet pledge allegiance to your master in the morning.

How can you host a "private" reception for a treacherous animal only a few hours after he betrayed your party? Is the reception supposed to be a celebration of his defection or an affirmation of your loyalty to him or what exactly? It's one thing to be his friend in a social, politically neutral context, but what exactly was the point of hosting him immediately after he announced his defection to the APC? ? ?

And this same mumu is pursuing a gubernatorial ambition in Imo State on the platform of the PDP? He just ruined his chances, and he would be relegated to nothingness and banished to the political wilderness in 2015.

thegreatman4ww:
if APC do not manage her primaries very well, I am seeing another party (but not PDP or APC) wnning the presidency come 2015.

You just spoilt your opinion by the statement above. You knw natin bout politics

Tambuwal should resign honorably or face the music. You can't have your cake and eat it.

mikeansy:
Emeka Ihedioha should maintain his friendship with Tambuwal but I expect Emeka to as true friends would advise Tambuwal to uphold the constitution and tender his resignation.

If Tambuwal does not respect the constitution then Emeka owe himself, and Nigerians a duty to uphold the constitution by doing whatever is necessary to restore integrity to the house and remove Tambuwal!

Yes, Emeka should summon the members and properly remove the Speaker....and not by some external underhand and use of force by the Executive.

There should always be separation of power....in the absence of that...we are only inviting anarchy.

Waziri should resign as the speaker let peace reign in the house period.

enugwunno:
Waziri should resign as the speaker let peace reign in the house period.

I think it's the Executive that should allow peace to reign by handing off from matters that are primarily for the legislatures..

The HoR members elected him, only them can remove him...not the Executive.

Senseless story!



Wat does a farewell to a former colleague have to do with party loyalty?



Play politics via building bridges not paranoia

What if David Mark defects too.. Just thinking aloud!

abacus:
What if David Mark defects too.. Just thinking aloud!

David Mark is too smart to play those silly games!

4 term senator and 2 term senate president is not by luck

The man is very strategic!

Tambuwal should do the responsible thing and resign for the sake of peace!

pro01:
This Ihedioha must be a buffoon. How naive can one be? Even a neophyte would be able to study the prevailing political atmosphere/mood in his party's High Command and demonstrate better judgment. You can't dine with your master's enemy in the night and yet pledge allegiance to your master in the morning.

How can you host a "private" reception for a treacherous animal only a few hours after he betrayed your party? Is the reception supposed to be a celebration of his defection or an affirmation of your loyalty to him or what exactly? It's one thing to be his friend in a social, politically neutral context, but what exactly was the point of hosting him immediately after he announced his defection to the APC? ? ?

And this same mumu is pursuing a gubernatorial ambition in Imo State on the platform of the PDP? He just ruined his chances, and he would be relegated to nothingness and banished to the political wilderness in 2015.

Ihedioha never had any chance of becoming Imo governor.
Iheanacho or whoever APGA brings will win the election

It was this same game that was played during the NGF crisis and with the way things are going we will soon see another arithmetical invention of the nature of 16 greater than 19.

Collynzo29:

Ihedioha never had any chance of becoming Imo governor.
Iheanacho or whoever APGA brings will win the election

APGA's structures in Imo State are extremely weak, if not non-existent. What was supposed to be the original APGA (on whose platform Rochas won the election) coalesced into the APC when Rochas defected. Besides, Iheanacho is not strong enough to pull a one-man stunt. I think the PDP would reclaim the governorship.

pro01:


APGA's structures in Imo State are extremely weak, if not non-existent. What was supposed to be the original APGA (on whose platform Rochas won the election) coalesced into the APC when Rochas defected. Besides, Iheanacho is not strong enough to pull a one-man stunt. I think the PDP would reclaim the governorship.

APGA is the best organised party in Imo state at the moment, Iheanacho is not going to pull a one man stunt, he has the people solidly behind him just like they were behind Okorocha in 2011.

Can politics ever be clear n straight forward?

saintikechi:
Tamuwal should vuluntarily resign his seat as speaker, since he is now with the minority in the house. He is free to retain his seat as a honurable member of the house.

U folks dt keep propagating this cliche...keep makin me ask ds qstn over and again. On what basis should he resign? On ur interpretatn of d constitution? Mr. there r conflicting judicial pronouncements on d issue of defectn and even if it turns out "favourable" for the ruling party, it turns out in d long run to be a catch 22 situation wc scares the ruling party. So lets ol wait for d judiciary to make clear dt section of d constitution. Peace

So police now interprets the law by acting with impunity, well I just love the recent scenarios. We need a viable political opposition and option if Nigeria must move forward

[b][b]By Virtue of section Section 68 (1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution as amended. The section reads, “A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if - (g) being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected.” Ex speaker contravened section (68)(1)(g) by defecting when there is a subsisting court injunction to the effect that there is no division in the PDP security details is in order. Section 68 (1)(g) made it clear that a lawmaker who defects when there is no division in his party shall vacate his seat. “The legal advice is that the operational word there is ‘shall.’ That section of the constitution is self- “There is a subsisting court injunction that there is no division in the PDP and that there is no merger. “It therefore means that based on that constitutional provision, Tambuwal is no longer a member of the House. Since he is no longer a member, then he cannot be the speaker. “The withdrawal of Ex- speaker Tambuwal security details is in order. He will even be stopped from entering his office. He is no longer a member of the House.[/b][/b]

Jonathan Don Suffer meanwhile, suffer still dey ahead

Me just dey laugh like OBJ... Very soon now dem go send their BH army to attack Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal... But he's a ginger bread man, they can't catch him

O boy my belle wan bust off laughter o!

GT N7200 China fone built in form samsung note3
8.0mp camera.

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