The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, is making moves to ensure members of the House of Representatives will not impeach him when he finally defects from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

There had been speculations that Tambuwal might defect from the PDP, on which platform he was elected to the House, to the APC.

On Monday, the Speaker attended a meeting of APC members convened by the Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko, to discuss the political future of the state.

Tambuwal, however, said he was still consulting and would brief Nigerians very soon on his final decision.

The Office of the Speaker had claimed that a reconciliatory mission of the Board of Trustees of the PDP to Sokoto on Monday did not invite Tambuwal to a meeting of the PDP stakeholders in the state.

The BoT members were said to have been led by the Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih.

A statement by Tambuwal’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Imam Imam, stated that the Speaker obliged the invitation by attending the Wamakko meeting.

Tambuwal’s romance with the opposition is said to be puzzling to the Presidency, the representatives and leadership of the PDP.

Findings showed that Tambuwal, who is in the last lap of his consultations on the issue, might likely defect on Thursday this week.

The House too is set to adjourn plenary on Thursday to allow members prepare for the primaries of their various political parties.

SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that the Speaker had been talking some members into supporting his defection for “stabilising the House since June 2011.”

Leadership stability is said to be his lobbying thrust to retain the speakership after the speculated defection.

Insiders said he used his loyalists across party lines to preach the need to sustain the seeming unity in the House till May 2015.

“Meetings are going on; a lot of members are being spoken to. It is to prepare the ground for the Speaker’s final move, which should happen any moment from now”, one source told SUNDAY PUNCH.

Investigations revealed the targets of the intensified lobbying were PDP members of the House, who could move against Tambuwal should he defect to APC.

As things stand, the PDP has regained full control of the House with about 206 members, while the APC controls about 151 lawmakers.

Accord Party has two members, while Labour Party has one.

“The Speaker’s game plan is to ensure that he will escape removal from his seat should there be a plot by the PDP to impeach him.

“He is trying to get the support of more than 240 members to be in the safe zone,” another National Assembly source confided in SUNDAY PUNCH.

Under Section 50(2)(c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the President of the Senate or the Speaker can be removed from office if supported by the votes of “two-thirds” of all the members.

Two-thirds of the 360 House members is 240.

“That is the idea of consulting more members and seeking for their cooperation,” the source added.

The section reads, “The President or Deputy President of the Senate or the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives shall vacate his office (c) if he is removed from office by a resolution of the Senate or of the House of Representatives, as the case may be, by the votes of not less than two-thirds majority of the members of that House.”

The Speaker’s loyalists are also said to be arguing that the constitution does not provide that the Speaker must come from the majority party.

“Even our rules book does not specify so. It simply says the members shall elect from among themselves a speaker.

“So, this impression created that because the PDP is in the majority, it must produce the speaker, doesn’t arise,” one member asserted.

They also argued that neither the constitution nor the rules book gives any grounds for the impeachment of a presiding officer of the National Assembly, “though they can opt to remove him if supported by the approval of two-thirds of the members.”

The constitution makes a provision for the mode of electing of the presiding officer in Section 50(1)(a)(b) thus, “There shall be: (a) a President and a Deputy President of the Senate, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves; and

“(b) a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.”

It was learnt that Tambuwal’s field men tried to do this groundwork ahead of the defection in a bid to checkmate external pressures on PDP members to move against him in the aftermath of the defection.

Findings also showed that the defection was delayed as a strategy to wait till “very close to the primaries” when members would be more preoccupied with how to win their return tickets than removing the speaker.

The PDP caucus at the House again remained indifferent to the Speaker’s defection plans when SUNDAY PUNCH sought the views of the leadership.

The caucus declined to speak elaborately on the matter until Tambuwal would have defected.

“We have said times without number that all this is speculation.

“We see the Speaker as a PDP member until he defects or he informs the caucus that he is no longer a member.

“Since he has not told us so, he is a PDP member”, Deputy House Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, stated.

Ogor also repeated his familiar lines of not commenting on what the caucus would do should the Speaker defect.

“When we get to that bridge, we will cross it.

I have also said again we should not place the cart before the horse,” he added.

But, House Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, said his members were excited to hear that the Speaker was interested in the APC.

“Our doors are open to him any day; though he has not told us of any intention to join APC.

We will welcome him any day he decides to join us,” the APC leader said.

The Speaker’s Office would not respond to inquiries on the planned defection.

The Speaker’s Special Adviser on Media, told SUNDAY PUNCH he had nothing more to say.

Source:http://www.punchng.com/news/defection-tambuwal-lobbies-reps-against-impeachment/

wow! excess joy fills my heart for being d first to comment. what a wondeful way of begining d week. thank you Lord...



Back to d topic: let him go jor, we are tired of hearing ds defection for ages....
mtcheew!
GEJ till 2019

Dis Nigga of a person acts like a coward. Ur defection is long over due. Just migrate and join them like Amechi and co. At due time you shall realise wot you have done to ur political career. NONSENSE

Our people say that the cockroach that goes to the fowl in search of food, will end up as food for fowl. Tambuwal is playing with his seat at the house not just the speaker post. How sure is he that he will win in his constituency come 2015 under apc. Or is he eyeing aso rock

Politics, Dirty game since 1960.

naija politics just get as it be sha

[size=14pt]PDP -> APC = Impeachment

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What is he thinking about his defection? They will impeach him asap. Mr. SPEAKER, be a man and take your decision asap, it is better to take a wrong decision than not taking any at all.

Defection in nigerian politics is as cheap as kuli kuli. He can defect to APC, if they want to impeach him, he can run back and don't be surprised, PDP will then spend $1b to throw welcome back party. Naija polity; tricking people since 1914.

space booked already, comment later.

so dis is wat has beign going on in nigeria eeh kwa* instead of these so called house of reps working 2geda 4 d countries benefit, they are siting down with their pot belly's n two left legs debating on self interest. Left 2 me i would hv said 'heavy shud thunda fire them' but becos of my church mind may thunder gv dem discount com still fire dem* IDiots

aywhy93:
[size=14pt]PDP -> APC = Impeachment
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what nonsense is this? you hungry bloggers should stop hijacking threads like this. go to the appropriate thread and advertise your stale news.

Tambuwal, a PDP man at daytime and APC at night...A political coward.
PDP reps will never sacrifice their return tickets for you because thats what the PDP Leadership will threaten them with
Man up Coward!!

And the intrigues continue

Na by force to stay with rogues? This PinDiPin self.... Nah wa o.






1st page thing.... I must dance shoki 4 church today .






1st page thing.... I must dance shoki 4 church today

One would expect that with 206 PDP members in the house it will be difficult for PDP to get the required 2/3 majority votes. However the way numbers are interpreted in Nigerian politics is different-16 can be greater than 19.

It will be a daunting task to impeach Tambuwal should he defect

'

Naija polithiefcians I dey hail oooo

Am not surprise...i would have been surprised if he is not already in APC!

how much he dey share.

diluminati:


what nonsense is this? you hungry bloggers should stop hijacking threads like this. go to the appropriate thread and advertise your stale news.

Really? Don't you have a cane? You fit flog me na .. Since it's not useful for you, then move to the next post.

P.S - If you need 12 months free BIS or Android Subscription, don't be too shy or ashame to PM me though... Stu,pid Hoe !!!

If he is impeached, he has tried and scored a first by being the first person in Nigerian politics to be in the opposition and enjoy the office allocated to the ruling party. Yes, Tambuwal is a member of the opposition who wants to have his cake and eat it! This is a show of lack of convinction, principle and integrity. He is also a coward and opportunist! He wants to be a Governor in APC, yet wish to retain Speakership of the House, while at it.

The PDP messed up as a party to allow disloyalty among the members. Party supremacy should be paramount and erring members sanctioned. Tambuwal has embarrassed the PDP and himself. This is why I suppoerted the notion that PDP should allow the G5 Governors to leave the party, back then. It would have been disastrous if the PDP had gone into the election with 'enemies within'.


Tambuwal might end up like the proverbial dog that wanted to answer two masters at the sametime and broke it's jaw in the process. He should sacrifice one for the other or lose both in the end.

does it really matter

Tambuwal!!! I think u say u b ogah. Go ahead and commit political suicide if u've not already committed it. What a name! T*A*M*B*U*W*A*L*!!!

ok ooo

For their pocket not mine. mtcheeeeeeeew!