Why Jonathan wants Tambuwal removed

President Jonathan has directed PDP lawmakers to ensure that Tambuwal is removed from office.

Sources close to the presidency revealed that the president who could not hide his anger told some ranking members of the House at a meeting at the Presidential Villa on Friday night to immediately start moves towards Tambuwal’s ouster. He blamed them for allowing the speaker to exhibit such control over them without protecting his interest.

Jonathan

Said the source: “We had to apologise to him and promised to carry out his instructions to remove the speaker. Towards this end, we’ve summoned all our members to reach Abuja today (yesterday) unfailingly to attend a meeting with our party leaders.”

Jostle to replace Tambuwal begins

Impeccable sources told Vanguard that a four-term lawmaker, Bashir Adamu (PDP, Jigawa) has been tipped to replace Tambuwal.

Also being considered is Usman Kumho, but from all indications he does not have a strong support base to become speaker.

Why we won’t impeach Ihedioha

On the grand design to impeach Emeka Ihedioha, the deputy speaker, the source said “it is virtually impossible because we can’t lose two strong PDP lawmakers. We’ve lost Tambuwal. So, Ihedioha remains for now and that is not really our challenge.”

Plot to impeach Tambuwal ‘ll fail unless…

However, another PDP lawmaker said that even if PDP heeded the call to give automatic tickets to lawmakers as widely reported, the idea to impeach Tambuwal would fail.

Reason: none of them is ready to play politics of impeachment at the moment given the fact that every lawmaker has returned to his constituency to fight for tickets.

“Look, they are only playing politics. I can tell you that no PDP lawmaker is ready to vote for Tambuwal’s impeachment. Even if there would be anything like that, it can’t be now.

PDP doesn’t have the number to remove Tambuwal –Nwuke

Also lending his voice, an APC lawmaker from Rivers State, Ogbonna Nwuke, said that the PDP lawmakers did not have the required two-third majority to oust the Speaker.

He said: “Let me say this to you. It’s not possible for PDP lawmakers to muster two third majority. They don’t have it. The only way they can get that is if some APC lawmakers decide to betray the party. But that is not possible.”

PDP meeting

At press time, the PDP meeting was on-going. Vanguard gathered that one of the issues slated for discussion was automatic tickets for all PDP lawmakers to enable them work towards removing Tambuwal.

Those expected at the meeting included members of of the Board of Trustees (BoT), National Working Committee (NWC), PDP Governors Forum, Attorney General of the Federation and PDP caucus in the House.

Leave us alone, face our economy, APC Reps advise PDP

Also yesterday, APC members from the court venue where they went to restrain PDP from reconvening the House, advised the Federal Government to concentrate on the economy and leave the leadership of the House alone.

The arrowhead of the lawmakers, Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos), who addressed the press berated the PDP for resorting to self-help and using the police to withdraw the speaker’s security details.

He wondered why the PDP is over-reacting over Tambuwal’s defection, who he said exercised his fundamental and constitutional right to freedom of association.

We’ve the capacity to handle any situation –APC Reps

Also speaking after the APC briefing, Chairman House Committee on Finance, Abdulmunin Jibrin (APC, Kano) said: “We members of the APC are in shock because when the Speaker officially moved, we had thought that there would be some kind of celebration in the Presidency and of course, the PDP because they have never done anything to pull the speaker close to them. We in the APC worked hard on the speaker. We showed the Speaker that we are going to provide him a home, and eventually the speaker moved to the APC.”

“And now there is all sort of scheming going but the most important thing is that the speaker has nothing to lose. We have nothing to lose.”

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Why Jonathan wants Tambuwal removed