The Peoples Democratic Party Caucus at the House of Representatives has said that it will do nothing about the alleged defection bid of the Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, until it actually happens.
It noted that so long as Tambuwal had not informed the caucus that he was about to defect to another political party, it would be wrong to move against the speaker over “a mere speculation about defection.”
“Why should we move against the speaker or attack his person over speculation?
“That will be placing the cart before the horse; Mr. Speaker is a full member of the PDP.
“He has never told the caucus that he wants to leave the PDP. He is a PDP member,” Deputy House Majority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, told The PUNCH in Abuja on Monday.
Asked whether the caucus would initiate impeachment proceedings against Tambuwal, should he formally abandon the PDP, Ogor replied, “When we get to that bridge, we will certainly cross it.”
Tambuwal has been linked with a bid to join the All Progressives Congress as a possible 2015 presidential candidate or a plan ‘B’ of running for the office of the Governor of Sokoto State on the ticket of the party.
Two weeks ago, amid intense pressure mounted on him to clarify his future political plans, the speaker had disclosed that he was engaging in a nationwide consultation to determine his next move.
Tambuwal had stated that he would brief Nigerians on the outcome of the consultation and the decision he had taken.
He did not say how long the consultation would take.
But, as the rumour of the alleged romance with the APC thickened, the PDP House caucus reportedly expressed unhappiness and was said to have begun plotting to replace Tambuwal.
During a meeting held shortly before lawmakers proceeded on their annual recess in July, the matter was said to have been raised by caucus members, preparatory to the September 16 resumption of the House.
The caucus even met with President Goodluck Jonathan earlier and endorsed him for the 2015 poll.
Tambuwal was not at the meeting where the group endorsed Jonathan and he chose to maintain silence over the stance of the caucus on Jonathan.
However, Ogor, a PDP member from Delta State, denied that impeachment was a subject at the meeting of the caucus before the members went to meet with the President.
“I was at that meeting and nothing like that was mentioned by anybody. Impeachment how?
“Look, you are aware that the issue of defection or change of House leadership is before the courts; so we should not be generating unnecessary controversy”, he added.
When reminded that Tambuwal for long rarely attended important PDP functions, Ogor claimed that the fact of the speaker shunning such events did not mean that he opposed them.
He spoke more, “He is a PDP member and a strong caucus member at that. Whether he is present at the meetings is immaterial; what is important is that decisions taken there are binding on him because is a caucus member.
“This issue of the speaker defecting to APC and what the PDP caucus will do about it, let us leave it aside until he informs us that he is no longer a member.”
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We won’t move against Tambuwal until he defects – Reps
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