Defection Saga: FG, PDP Has Shocker For Tambuwal

It appears that more troubles are coming the way of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, following his recent defection from the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

It was gathered by Punch that the Speaker might be barred from entering either his office or the National Assembly when the House resumes on December 3.

According to report, this was one of the issues discussed during the meeting which President Goodluck Jonathan held with top officials of the PDP on Wednesday.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal

In the early hours of Thursday, October 30, Tambuwal’s security details were withdrawn by Nigerian Police who cited Section 68 (1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution as amended as reason.

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.”



A top Presidency source explained that the decision to strip Tambuwal of all the rights and privileges of a speaker was taken based on legal submission.

He said the speaker, by defecting, contravened section (68)(1)(g) as there is a subsisting court injunction to the effect that there is no division in the PDP and the legal advice before the Federal Government and the leadership of the PDP was that Tambuwal was no longer the speaker of the House in the eye of the law.

According to the source, it was resolved by the government and the PDP leadership that instead of taking Tambuwal to court for defecting without vacating his seat, he would be the one to go to court when his rights are withdrawn.

There are further indications that the House may defy the Speaker and reconvene within the next one week to take further actions over his defection.

A reliable source in the House said: “What will happen is that about 120 members will sign and pass over to the speaker, asking that the House should be reconvened. That is what is going to happen in the next one week.”

Tambuwal had shocked his colleagues on Tuesday, October 28, when he announced his defection from PDP to APC and then adjourned the House till December 3.
Following his defection, President Goodluck Jonathan had met with some leaders of the PDP to discuss the matter.

A day after, Tambuwal’s security details were withdrawn, an action, which the Speaker and the APC has strongly condemned.