The Speaker, House of Representatives and Governor-elect of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwa, on Sunday, said that the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, would not discharge his duties based on party affiliation.
Aminu Tambuwal
Tambuwal, who was reacting to statements that the former military Head of State would only focus his attention on the All Progressives Congress, on whose platform he was elected, said Buhari was elected as President for all Nigerians.
The Speaker stated this at Opoji, Edo State, shortly after receiving a traditional title, Onosejile (Godsent) of Opoji kingdom by the Onojie of Opoji, His Royal Highness, Ehidiamen Aidonojie I.
Tambuwal, in company with Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, had earlier paid a condolence visit to the Minority Whip of the House, Samson Osagie, at Urhokosa, in Uhumnwonde Local Government Area of the state.
He also stated that the President-elect would ensure justice for both the people of the South- South and South-East in the sharing of political positions.
He said the leadership of the party was still consulting on zone political offices across the country and would make its decision public soon.
He also dismissed claims that the APC was being torn apart due to its inability to work out an acceptable formular.
He said, “It is only God Almighty that gives power and he takes it away from whoever he wants at any time. Let me assure all Nigerians that our party, particularly the President-elect, Gen. Buhari will do justice to all manners of people of this great nation.
“He is a great man that is aware of the enormity of responsibilities as President of all and not President of a political party. And indeed, in particular, the people of the South-South and South- East, President Buhari will be fair and very kind to all of us as soon as he assumes office come May 29.”
Tambuwal also noted that Nigerians had become calm and hopeful for better days to come since the emergence of Buhari.
While expressing his appreciation to the people of Opoji and the traditional ruler, Tambuwal added, “I am particularly happy with His Highness for all his prayers both when I was attacked with tear gas at the National Assembly by the police and during my election as governor. Opoji is my second home and I am very grateful for this title.”
Speaker of the House of Representatives and the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, on Saturday said it was only by the grace of God that Nigerians were able to witness another election despite all the efforts to prevent it from holding.
Speaking, shortly after he was screened at the Kofar Ajiya polling unit, Tambuwal described the election as historic and critical in the history of this country.
“Today is very special and critical in the history of Nigeria and for us to witness it is only by the grace of God because effort had been made to stop it from holding,” he said.
He commended the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, for insisting that the elections must hold as scheduled in spite of all odds.
He also advised the media against broadcasting or revealing unofficial result, saying it may create a lot of tension in the country.
On his own part, Governor Aliyu Wamakko, expresses satisfaction with the conduct of INEC and the large turnout of people of the state during the election.
He maintained that politics is not a do or die affair, and that losers should accept the result in good faith.
“Nigeria is bigger than all of us. Politics is not a do or die affair and as such stakeholders should accept the outcome of the polls in good faith,” he advised.
Similarly, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Senator Abdallah Wali, expressed satisfaction with the turnout of voters during the election.
Speaking shortly after he was screened by INEC officials, Wali express concern at the inadequate security in most of the polling units and the slow pace in which the card reader machines were capturing the thumbs of voters.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, has said that himself and other members of the House who defected to All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party would have been richer politicians today had they remained in the PDP.
Aminu Tambuwal
He explained that remaining in the PDP would have been an easier choice as all the lawmakers would have enjoyed the financial benefits of being in the same party as the Federal Government.
However, Tambuwal stated that for the love of Nigeria and the need to turn the country around for good, they opted to leave the PDP and join the progressive-minded APC.
He claimed that the PDP had not done much for the country since it assumed control of its leadership in 1999.
But, a member of the House who is serving on the PDP’s Presidential Campaign Committee, Mr. Bitrus Kaze, quickly disagreed with Tambuwal.
A statement on Monday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Imam Imam, quoted Tambuwal as making the submission at an APC town hall meeting held in Tsafe Emirate, Zamfara State.
“Many patriotic Nigerians who felt the need to change the course of our country have protested the inept administrative style on this country.
“They made their voices known by abandoning the PDP and teaming up with progressive-minded Nigerians.
“Remaining in the PDP would have been the easy option for us. We would have been richer and would have been enjoying the benefits of being in the same political camp with the Federal Government.
“But we chose a different option because we felt enough is enough. We felt Nigeria deserves better leadership that is why we are in the APC,” the statement added.
Tambuwal also advised the electorate against voting for the PDP on the grounds that it was not dignifying to do so.
“So, a vote for PDP would be undignified.
“We must re-discover our self-worth as a people, we must move the country forward,” Tambuwal said.
Traditional rulers and other interest groups at the Emirate as well as the Zamfara State Governor, Mr. Abdulaziz Yari, attended the APC town hall meeting.
In his reaction to the speaker’s comments, Kaze, who is from Plateau State, said it was “unfortunate” that Tambuwal, who was until six months ago a member of the PDP, could paint the party in such bad light.
He argued that so long as Nigeria was not yet practising politics of ideology, a change of political party merely served personal interest and nothing more.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned indefinitely a suit filed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, challenging planned moves to declare his seat vacant.
Tambuwal and Jonathan
Tambuwal had also filed the suit seeking an order compelling the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, and other security agencies to restore his security aides withdrawn from him after he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed adjourned the suit indefinitely upon requests for stay of proceedings by some parties who had gone to the Court of Appeal to challenge a previous ruling of the court in the suit.
The court had by its ruling being challenged at the appellate court disallowed the parties who are representing the people of Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency of Sokoto State, from joining the suit as co-defendants.
The two sets of applicants claimed to have shown interest in the suit on behalf of the people of Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency being represented by the Speaker at the House of Representatives.
One of the sets of applicants are Chairmen of Kebbe and Tambuwal Local Governments in Sokoto State – Bala Konkani and Sambo Modo – and the other comprises three members of the Sokoto State House of Assembly – Abdussamad Dasuki, Suleiman Hantsi, and Shuaibu Umar, representing Tambuwal East, Tambuwal West and Kebbe constituencies.
On November 28, Israel Olorundare (SAN) for the local government chairmen and Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) for the state legislators argued their respective motions for joining the suit.
Justice Mohammed, in a ruling on December 1, refused the applications on the grounds that the interest they sought to protect had been effectively protected by the plaintiff himself.
He had also rejected the applications for joining the suit as co-defendants on the grounds that their interest to support the case of the plaintiff was in conflict with that of the already existing defendants in the suit.
The Peoples Democratic Party has filed a fresh suit seeking an order compelling the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, to declare himself as no longer fit to represent the Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency.
Aminu Tambuwal
The suit is filed while the one instituted by Tambuwal seeking to stop his removal and declaration of his seat vacant on the account of his defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress is pending.
Tambuwal’s suit comes up for hearing on December 3.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed on Monday granted an ex parte application seeking leave by the PDP to commence its suit against Tambuwal.
The office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives; Tambuwal himself; and the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, are the respondents in the suit.
The court after granting the leave also ordered the plaintiff to put all the respondents on notice.
The court also directed that the court order and the motion on notice to be filed by the plaintiff should be served on the three respondents.
The PDP, in its fresh suit, maintained that by virtue of section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution, Tambuwal’s defection from the party, which sponsored his election to the House of Representatives, amounted to losing his seat.
The plaintiff contended that under section 68(2) of the Constitution, it was mandatory for Tambuwal, as Speaker of the House of Representatives, to declare as vacant the Kebbe/Tambuwal seat, whose occupant had defected from the party which sponsored him to the House.
They are also seeking an alternative order compelling the Deputy Speaker to declare the seat vacant in the event that Tambuwal fails to do so. The prayers being sought by the PDP in its suit filed on November 24 and marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/901/2014, read, “An order of mandamus compelling the 1st respondent (office of the Speaker) to give effect to the provisions of section 68(1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) by declaring the Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency seat vacant.
“An order of injunction restraining the 2nd respondent (Tambuwal) from performing or continuing to perform the function of the 1st respondent in the House of Representatives or sitting or continuing to sit in the House of Representatives as a member.
“In the alternative, an order of court compelling the 3rd respondent (Deputy Speaker, Ihedioha) to declare the Kebbe/Tambuwal seat vacant by an order of mandamus in terms of relief (a) supra.”
While moving the ex parte application seeking the court’s leave to commence the suit on Monday, the PDP’s lawyer, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), said section 68(1) (g) of the Constitution was not “self-implementing.”
But he added that the provisions must be given its effect by virtue of provision of section 62(2) of the Constitution by compelling Tambuwal to declare the Kebbe/Tambuwal seat vacant.
The matter was adjourned till December 12.
Meanwhile, Tambuwal has petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, seeking protection in a fresh suit filed against him by a member of the House, Mr. Abidun Akinlade.
The suit, NO. FHC/ABJ/CS/871/2014, has Tambuwal, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Federal Government, as respondents.
According to Tambuwal, the suit was assigned to Justice E.S.J. Chukwu of Court 8.
In the suit, Akinlade, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, is seeking a “judicial interpretation” of an earlier judgment of the same court, where it held that there was no division in the PDP.
The aim of the fresh suit is to justify the PDP’s stance that the defection of Tambuwal from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress on October 28, was “illegal” and in breach of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
But in Tambuwal’s petition, dated November 30, he said he had no confidence in Chukwu to treat the case without “bias”, having given a judgment in 2013 that there was no division in the PDP.
He observed that Chukwu’s judgment had been relied upon for subsequent decisions on defections, such as the one by Justice A.F.A. Ademola of the same Federal High Court, who also declared the December 2013 defection of 37 PDP lawmakers to the APC as illegal.
The speaker appealed to the chief judge to re-assign Akinlade’s case to another judge in the spirit of fairness.
Tambuwal, who is a lawyer by training, noted that the new case was like asking Chukwu to “sit on appeal over his own judgment.”
The speaker added that Ademola’s judgment too had elicited “four” appeals still pending at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division.
Similarly, the speaker said five other cases filed by “various parties” relating to the same issue of defection were before the Federal High Court in Abuja awaiting disposal.
Tambuwal prayed further, “My Lord, my apprehension is particularly in respect of the presiding Judge, Justice Chukwu, ESJ, having made a pronouncement on similar issues, in similar cases, decided by him, clearly shows that he has an iron-cast judicial position or opinion in respect of Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/871/2014, concerning me sir, which has just been assigned to him.”
Meanwhile, there were doubts on Monday (yesterday) whether the December 3 (tomorrow) scheduled resumption of the House would be a reality.
Findings showed that both the PDP and the main opposition APC members of the House would be preoccupied with the primaries of their respective parties, taking place between December 6 and 8.
ABUJA—Members of the House Committee on Police Affairs were shocked yesterday when the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr Sulaiman Abba, told them that he would not address Aminu Tambuwal as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Abba Suleiman, New Inspector General of Policeuwal
Abba drew the ire of the committee members when in his submission addressed the Speaker as Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and also described the lawmakers who scaled the gate last Thursday as suspected thugs.
At this point, Rep. Akeem Muniru, APC, Lagos declared that ”if the Inspector General of Police cannot appropriately address the Speaker on whose ticket we were appointed as members of this committee then I will honourably leave here.”
Chairman of the committee, Hon. Usman Kumo, PDP, Gombe quickly interjected, appealing to his members that the Inspector-General of Police has the floor and should be allowed to deliver his submission without interference.
Members openly complained, particularly Hon. Shuaibu Gwandu, PDP, Sokoto and Hon. Rufai Chachangi, APC, Kaduna, declaring that the IGP should retract what he said.
After about five minutes, the chairman successfully calmed frayed nerves.
Reading his submission, Abba said: “My deep sympathy goes to those who sustained injuries in what happened on November 20 and let me say here that it hurts my own person as the events of that day traumatised me.
“What transpired on that day was unprecedented worldwide as policemen were disobeyed, beaten and many things that followed after that date. In the process of safeguarding the security of the National Assembly on November 20, we collaborated with the National Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms according to laid down procedures where members were being asked to identify themselves before they could be allowed into the premises.
“And at the gate there, a tear gas exploded when ‘Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal’ was being asked to identity himself. We still don’t know the circumstances surrounding the explosion and we are investigating it.”
I acted on credible information —IGP
He claimed he acted based on credible information to deploy his men to the NASS on the said day, adding that the action was also due to what happened on the 19th when Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and other APC supporters besieged the Force Headquarters promising to do worse things the following day, including going to the National Assembly.
He said: “Considering what happened in Burkina Faso on October 30 where the palace was invaded, we had no choice than to go for reinforcement to curb the situation.”
Suspected thugs
The IGP insisted that there were reports that those who scaled the fence on that day were thugs.
Asked whether the so-called thugs include the lawmakers who resorted to scaling the fence after being locked out by the Police, he said the actions that were taken were based on the need to forestall breakdown of law and order as witnessed recently in Bukina Faso.
“We acted on credible information about suspected thugs who wanted to invade the Assembly and because we didn’t want what happened in Bukina Faso to repeat itself here, we had to take stringent security measures,” the IGP said.
Tambuwal should be properly addressed—Lawmakers
Lawmakers were, however, furious on the manner in which the Police chief addressed the person of the Speaker as a mere Alhaji whose name has no protocol and national significance whatsoever.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Usman Kumo, then called the IGP to order, insisting that the Speaker and his office must be respected and addressed accordingly.
After observing that the IGP was not forthcoming, Hon. Hakeem Muniru (APC Lagos) demanded that “the IGP must retract his statement calling the Speaker, ‘Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal’ or I take my leave as I would deem this sitting as an illegal one. Because I can’t participate in a hearing where the office of the Speaker through whose authority we are having this meeting is not even recognised by an appointee of the executive.”
Hon. Victor Nwokolo (PDP Delta) said: “I agree with the earlier speaker on the issues at stake which has to do with the IGP retracting his disrespectful statement about the office of the Speaker.”
Kumo, however, failed to obtain compliance from the IGP and told his colleagues that he would report back to the House what transpired and therefore adjourned the hearing sine die.
Vow to apply relevant laws to checkmatwe IGP
Meanwhile, spokesman of the House of Representatives, Zakari Mohammed, yesterday, said all relevant laws would be looked into to checkmate the Inspector General of Police.
Apparently reacting to the outcome of the public hearing held at NASS complex where the IGP refused to properly address the speaker appropriately, Mohammed said: ”When we resume we shall invoke the right laws to deal with the situation. Since the IGP has assumed the position of another arm of government, we will handle the situation the right way very soon. The issue here is that the IGP has turned himself into the judiciary.”
Another top ranking member of the House said: “We will ensure that this particular IGP goes down in history as one who wanted to desecrate the sanctity of the National Assembly. He must certainly pay for his act of indiscretion and mischief.”
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, has joined the race to become the President of the country in 2015 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, which he defected to two weeks ago.
Aminu Tambuwal
Media aides of the Speaker, who joined the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party, confirmed that “friends and associates” bought the presidential nomination form of the party for Tambuwal, who became the Speaker of the House in 2011.
Tambuwal’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Imam Imam, told our correspondent on the telephone on Thursday, “Earlier today, some friends and associates of the Speaker notified him that they have bought presidential nomination forms for him.”
Our correspondent learnt that members of the APC in the House opted to pay for the nomination form for the Speaker to contest the 2015 presidential poll.
The PUNCH gathered on Thursday that the members reportedly reached out to one another soon after it turned out that Tambuwal showed interest in the presidential race early this week.
Attempts by the APC to pick a presidential candidate by consensus appeared to have failed after talks between the stakeholders reportedly collapsed by Wednesday.
The contest was initially between former Head of State, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.); former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
But, The PUNCH learnt that the entry of Tambuwal into the race had further compounded the situation in the APC.
Investigations showed that the lawmakers had reasoned that Tambuwal was a “poor speaker”, who would not be able to afford the N27m the APC fixed as the cost of the form.
Nigerians voted for a PDP Speaker, but got an APC wolf in PDP sheep’s clothing.
It is customary to refer to members of the House of Representatives as “honorable.” In which case, the appropriate title for the current Speaker might be the Right Honorable Aminu Tambuwal. But the activities of the Speaker over the last four years, capped by his recent defection to the APC, shows that such a title would be grossly misplaced if applied to him.
Tambuwal, Tinubu
There is nothing honorable about Tambuwal pretence for the better part of three years that he is a PDP member, when in actual fact he has been nothing of the sort. There is nothing honorable about the way Tambuwal has despised the Constitution he was sworn to protect. There is nothing honorable about the wayTambuwal has betrayed the trust of the Nigerian electorate, as expressed in the 2011 election. I can find no better or more precise language with which to describe Tambuwal than that he is a traitor.
Tambuwal’s treachery
Tambuwal is a serial defector of dishonorable repute. He defected from the ANPP to the DPP, then to back to the ANPP, then to the PDP and now to the APC. He is a traitor for defecting from the PDP to the APC without first resigning from the House. He is the representative of a constituency in Sokoto comprising a majority of PDP voters. They elected him to represent them as a PDP legislator. He has now betrayed their trust by defecting to the opposition APC. This is nothing short of treachery. His constituents did not elect an APC man to represent them.
Tambuwal has shown that he is not a man of high principles. He is just another 419 politician. Nigeria is operating a democratic system largely borrowed from the United States. The Speaker of the House of Representatives comes from the majority party in the House. That party is the PDP. Tambuwal was elected under the PDP platform. However, he has been operating as an opposition APC man disguised treacherously as a PDP man.
The job of the Speaker is to spearhead the legislative programme of the government in the House. A Speaker who is in cahoots with the opposition is, in effect, a traitor to his party and to the government. That has been the case with Aminu Tambuwal. If Nigerian voters wanted the House of Representatives to have a Speaker who is from a different party from the President, they would have given the opposition a majority in the House of Representatives. They did not. They gave the PDP, the president’s party, the majority. Tambuwal’s shenanigans in the last four years have been designed to frustrate the express will of the Nigerian electorate.
ACN treachery
Aminu Tambuwal became Speaker by aligning himself with the selfish ambitions of Bola Tinubu and his ACN opposition party. Tinubu claims to be a leader of the Yorubas, but when the PDP zoned the position of Speaker to South-West Yorubas, Tinubu decided that the interests of the Yorubas would not serve his personal political ambitions. A Yoruba Speaker would provide another focal point for Yoruba leadership apart from the Asiwaju; therefore the ACN decided to frustrate the candidature of their kith and kin, Mulikat Akande.
To do this successfully, they needed a traitor from the PDP who would go against the directives of his party, while remaining a member of the PDP, and challenge the party’s chosen candidate to become Speaker. They found that traitor in Aminu Tambuwal. Here is how it worked. Tinubu used his political muscle to convince gullible Yoruba legislators to vote against a Yoruba woman, Mulikat Akande, in a post that was specifically designed by the PDP as a benefit for Yorubas. He then got these same “mumu” Yoruba politicians to vote instead for Aminu Tambuwal; a scion of the Sokoto Caliphate with a Hausa/Fulani agenda.
This is something that could never have happened the other way around. It is inconceivable that a Hausa/ Fulani legislator would be persuaded to give something that has been zoned to Hausa/Fulanis to a Yoruba man. To put it bluntly, the Hausas/Fulanis are not that stupid. But what does that tell us about Yoruba politicians? They are slave traders. They have no qualms about selling their own people into slavery. They have no qualms about throwing other Yorubas under the bus.
With the Yoruba politicians gullible enough to agree to be sold, yet again, into Northern slavery, at the treacherous plotting of their self-proclaimed godfather, it was not difficult to find Northerners from the PDP who gladly joined in this treachery to put another Hausa/Fulani into office as Speaker. Aminu Tambuwal was that choice.
False pretences
There are two quick lessons to learn from this. The first is that as Bola Tinubu and the ACN betrayed the Yorubas with the election of Tambuwal of Sokoto as Speaker of the House, so also are they determined to sell Yorubas into slavery again by their current alliance with the North-West and the Sokoto Caliphate through the APC. As there was nothing in Tambuwal’s Speakership for the Yorubas, so will there be nothing for the Yorubas in a North-West APC presidency. Yoruba voters really need to “shine their eyes.”
The other issue has to do with Aminu Tambuwal. Tambuwal became a Speaker under false pretences. Although he continued to parade himself as a member of the PDP, he was in actual fact no longer a member of the party. He shunned the party and became a mouthpiece of the opposition, all the while still pretending that he belonged to the PDP. Clearly, the honorable thing for Tambuwal to do, since he had clearly lost his affection for the PDP, was to resign from the party. However, Right Honorable Aminu Tambuwal did not do this because he is not an honorable man.
Violating the Constitution
Tambuwal’s other disaffected PDP colleagues were more honorable than him. 37 of them defected to the APC. But Tambuwal remained in the PDP in order to retain his job as Speaker. As long as he continued to claim he belonged to the PDP, even though he really no longer liked the party, he could continue to enjoy his rights and privileges as the Speaker. Tambuwal did not care what Nigerians think about his treachery. We voted for a PDP Speaker, but got an APC wolf in PDP sheep’s clothing.
Tambuwal’s treachery also meant he had to violate the Constitution of Nigeria which, as Speaker, he was sworn to protect. Section 68 (g) of the 1999 Constitution says: “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 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; provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored.”
This required the Speaker to declare the seats of the 37 PDP House members who defected as vacant. There was no division in the PDP; its members simply defected to another party. But given that Tambuwal was really an APC man in PDP disguise, he refused to fulfil his constitutional duty as Speaker to declare the seats vacant, in spite of the proclamation of the courts. He betrayed his duty as a PDP Speaker to protect the interests of the PDP. He denied the PDP seats that rightfully belonged to the PDP. He violated the will of Nigerian voters who elected the PDP traitors.
Tambuwal’s defection
Tambuwal’s last act of treachery was his outright defection to the APC. He waited for the majority leader of the House to move for adjournment until 3rd December, 2014, before reading his defection letter. Having long manipulated the system to his selfish advantage, Tambuwal has now discovered that others can also manipulate the system to his disadvantage.
The police have been instructed to withdraw his security detail as Speaker, on the grounds that, with his defection, he is no longer a member of the House and thereby no longer the Speaker. In truth, the Speaker of the House of Representatives cannot come from the minority party. Tambuwal has now resorted to the courts. But this is the same Tambuwal who failed to declare the 37 seats of PDP defectors vacant, in spite of a court decision to that effect. People like Tambuwal who violate the verdict of the courts and show no respect for the courts don’t deserve protection by the courts.
If Tambuwal, as Speaker, can ignore the verdict of the courts; then Jonathan, as President, can equally ignore it. In this dog-eat-dog game that Tambuwal initiated, he deserves no sympathy whatsoever. He will quickly discover that a president has far greater nuisance value than a Speaker. If the president decides to make life difficult for Tambuwal, and I see no reason why not, then Tambwal is in for interesting times before his demotion to Sokoto Governor’s lodge.
He can be thrown out of his government house. He can then take the government to court, but the case might not be decided until June 2015. Tambuwal cannot have his cake and eat it. He cannot manipulate the system and then go to court to challenge others for also manipulating it. He started this nonsense. He deserves the repercussions. He should have done the honorable thing a long time ago. Resign as Speaker; and leave the House of Representatives.
If Tambuwal thinks Buhari and Co will give the presidential ticket of the APC to a former PDP man, he should think again. If he thinks Northerners will elect a North-West Sokoto man as president in 2015, he should think again. If he thinks Yorubas will vote a member of the Sokoto Caliphate as president in the current political environment of Nigeria, then he should dream on.
DEPUTY Speaker, House of Representatives, Honourable Emeka Ihedioha, appears to have landed in trouble, for hosting the Speaker, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal, to a reception, after the latter’s defection to opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Emeka Ihedioha and Tambuwal
Sources in the National Assembly told the Nigerian Tribune that President Goodluck Jonathan and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were angry with the Deputy Speaker for hosting Tambuwal to a warm reception, few hours after the Speaker defected from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC.
But the spokesman of Ihedioha, Oke Epia, on Thursday, said the allegation that Ihedioha hosted Tambuwal was not true.
He stated that the duo could meet as presiding officers of the House and not as party members.
“Are they saying the deputy speaker is no longer a chieftain of the PDP? I can tell you that his loyalty is unshaken. He remains committed to PDP. These are political times and all sort of things could be raised by political opponents,” he said.
Sources, however, said the meeting between Tambuwal and Ihedioha took place at the Deputy Speaker’s guest house in Pope John Paul Street, off Gana Street, Maitama, Abuja.
“Ihedioha has been asked to explain whose master he has elected to serve; because we cannot understand why he chose to host 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 APC with his boss? The PDP deserves an answer from him,” a source said.
The source further said at this “critical moment of political decision,” President Goodluck Jonathan wanted to be very clear on whose side Ihedioha belonged.
ABUJA – Chief Mike Ozekhome, a Constitutional lawyer and human rights activist in his reaction said, “Section 68 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution as altered, merely prohibits carpet crossing or defection from the original sponsoring political party to another. Where that happens, a member of the Senate or House of Representatives is to vacate his seat.
Mike Ozekhome
“Though the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal has decamped from PDP to APC, he has not yet been pronounced upon as having lost his seat in the House. For now, it is presumptuous. Even at that, we should rise above the level of petty politics and do the right thing by not desecrating our institutions and the quintessence of our democratic culture through actions that call to question the institutions of the Nigeria Police and the National Assembly.
“Tambuwal remains the speaker of the House, at least till December 3, when the House resumes Plenary. He has not been impeached. He remains the number four (4) person in Nigeria. He therefore deserves full complement of security, not because of his person as an ordinary Nigerian, but as the Speaker of the lower House, the 4th person in order of protocol.
“If the speaker can show that his defection is as a result of a division in PDP, or that PDP has lost its identity because of its merger with another Political party, he will be excused by the proviso to Section 68 (1) (g) of the Constitution. For now, the Police should immediately restore his security aids without much ado.
Also some Senators yesterday reacted to the withdrawal of security details of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal over his recent defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC, by the Inspector-General of Police, Abba Ibrahim.
As most of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senators that were contacted refused to talk, saying that it was a sensitive matter and that their comments may not go down well with the position of their party (PDP), Senators of the opposition political parties condemned the act by the IGP, describing it as an impunity taken to the highest order.
Senator Kabiru Marafa, representing Zamfara State on the platform of APC, said the action of the IGP was highly unconstitutional even as he cautioned the PDP-led federal government to handle the matter with a lot of caution.
According to Senator Marafa, “We are occupying the various offices we are occupying today, courtesy of the constitution. Whatever we do should be in conformity with the constitution and the rule of law. The action is wrong and unfortunate because mere defection does not remove him as speaker”
Senator Babafemi Ojudu, APC, Ekiti Central in his own reaction said, “The withdrawal of Tambuwal’s security details is unfair, uncivilized. How can a government order the withdrawal of the security personnel attached to the number four citizen of the country?
“Why can’t they withdraw the security of Governor Olusegun Mimiko when he defected from Labour Party to the PDP? If the government continues like this, they will kill Nigeria’s democracy. The federal Government will be held responsible if anything should happen to Tambuwal today.
“The IGP is not there to serve the interest of his party, he is there to protect all Nigerians. He should therefore in the interest of peace, restore the security details of the number four citizen of the country without further delay.”
Senator Robert Boroffice, APC, Ondo North; said, “Tambuwal remains the Speaker until he resign from office ir removed. The constitution does not say that the speaker must emerge from the majority party in the House. It only provides for the members to choose the presiding officers from among themselves.
“Withdrawing Tambuwal’s security details is an act of impunity and it is very shameful. He is the Speaker and the security personnel were attached to his office.”
Also reacting to the development, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, representing Oyo South on the Accord Party platform insisted that since Tambuwal still remained the Speaker, his security details should be restored.
Senator Lanlehin said, “The Federal Government should follow the right process. Tambuwal still reserved his rights to have access to security until he is formally removed by two-third majority.”
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.
Aminu Tambuwal
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.
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.
Aminu Tambuwal
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.”
There are strong indications that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, will soon defect to the All Progressives Congress.
Aminu Tambuwal
Our correspondent learnt in Abuja on Monday that the Speaker was set to dump the Peoples Democratic Party for the APC after a nationwide consultation.
Tambuwal’s spokesperson, Imam Imam, said the nationwide consultation would determine whether the Speaker would contest the Presidency or the Sokoto State governorship election in 2015.
Imam, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, said that the Speaker was still consulting on the 2015 presidency and the defection to the APC.
Imam said, “He (Tambuwal) is still consulting. The outcome of the consultation will be known at the appropriate time. He is consulting on whether he will defect to the APC. He is consulting on whether he will contest the presidency. He is also consulting on contesting governorship election.”
The Speaker had on Tuesday, last week, held a closed-door meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
After the meeting, Imam said Obasanjo and Tambuwal discussed the state of the nation.
He had said, “You know Baba (Obasanjo) is father to all in the country. The visit was a consultation. It was about how to move the country forward and make the country better.”
On Monday, www.thecable.ng reported that Tambuwal gave the biggest hint about his planned defection on Sunday in his hometown, Tambuwal, Sokoto State.
After collecting his Permanent Voter Card, Tambuwal was asked if he would defect to the APC, he responded in Hausa, “Kowa ni tsuntsu kukan gidan su yake yi,” meaning “birds of a feather flock together.”
Imam, in the interview with our correspondent on Monday, explained Tambuwal’s statements in Sokoto State on Sunday.
He said, “The Speaker granted an interview in Tambuwal yesterday (Sunday) after collecting his permanent voter card. When journalists asked him questions about defection and whether he would contest the Presidency, he only said that he had to consult his people and the consultation is still going on.
“The outcome of the consultation with the people will be made known at the appropriate time. Every politics is local. It is the needs and aspirations of your locality that will determine the direction of your own politics.”
The Speaker has enjoyed a strong support of the APC members in the House. The support of the APC members was instrumental to his victory over Mrs. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, the candidate that the PDP backed for the position of a speaker.
The APC leaders that have been mentioned as having interest in the party’s presidential ticket include a former Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.); the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and a former Kwara State Governor, Senator Bukola Saraki
In apparent response to several questions about his next political move, speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Tambuwal has said he will make public his ambition at the right time.
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
The speaker who was speaking in Sokoto yesterday, said he is still consulting on whether to contest for presidency of Nigeria or the governorship of his state come 2015.
“I am still consulting my primary constituency on these crucial matters which affect me, Sokoto State and Nigeria generally. I will come back and engage my people. All politics is local and I will make my final stand on these topical issues known to Nigerians at the most appropriate time.”
Tambuwal also debunked allegations that he is a pseudo member of the PDP going by recent political developments, and hinted that he is still consulting with his primary constituency to know if to defect to the All Progressives Congress ( APC) or stay put in the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP).
Speaking shortly after collecting his permanent voter card ( PVC) in Tambuwal local government, the speaker insisted that a credible voters register is sacrosanct to having a credible election come 2015, just as he hailed INEC for taking the right step towards achieving credible election.
Going further, he disclosed that the final report of the just concluded National Conference will be subjected to due legislative process while stressing that Nigeria deserves better leadership which the citizenry must strive to get alongside sustaining the hard-earned democracy.
“Nigeria deserves better leadership and the nation’s leaders, as well as other Nigerians, must work to defend the hard-earned democracy in the country,” Tambuwal noted.
“I feel happy as a patriotic citizen of Nigeria by collecting my card today and all Nigerians must diligently exercise their civic duties. INEC deserves commendation, as it is not easy to manage the electoral process in a country where there is dearth of adequate power supply and ICT infrastructure.
“It is an improvement on the past exercises and INEC should actually exert its independence in action and not only on paper. The National Assembly has also put the commission on a first line charge to make it truly financially independent”.
The speaker also harped on the need for improved welfare, funding, weaponry, training and re-training as well as modern gadgets for Nigeria security agencies.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, held a secret meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his Hilltop home in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun State, on Tuesday.
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
Tambuwal, who arrived at the former president’s residence around 5.30pm, left around 6.18pm.
Our correspondent gathered that the visit might not be unconnected with the speaker’s 2015 political ambition.
It is believed that Tambuwal is nursing a presidential ambition.
However, his media aide, Mr. Imam Imam, said Tambuwal and Obasanjo only rubbed minds on the state of the nation and how to move it forward.
He said, “You know Baba is father to all in the country. The visit was a consultation. It is about rubbing minds on how to move the country forward and make Nigeria better.”
Asked whether the visit was in connection with Tambuwal’s rumoured presidential ambition in 2015, Imam said he could not confirm that because it was a closed door meeting between Tambuwal and Obasanjo.
He said, “I can’t say anything on that because it was a closed door meeting. About the presidential ambition, that also I cannot comment on. Let’s wait till 2015 and then we will address that.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, said on Sunday that it was against the law of the land for anybody to start campaigning for elective positions in the 2015 poll when the Independent National Electoral Commission had yet to give politicians the nod to do so.
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
Tambuwal, in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, dissociated himself from the posters flooding some parts of the city, promoting him as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress in 2015.
Although, he thanked the promoters of the idea for considering him worthy to vie for the Presidency, the Speaker advised them not to run foul of the law by initiating campaign ahead of the official declaration by INEC.
The posters had paired Tambuwal and his Deputy, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, as president and vice-president respectively on the ticket of the APC.
Part of the statement, which was signed by the Speaker’s Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Imam Imam, read, “While we thank them for deeming the Rt. Hon. Speaker fit for future elective office in the country, let it be known that since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not given the go-ahead for those interested in elective positions to start mobilisation, it is inappropriate for any person or group to print campaign posters and have them placed in strategic locations in any part of the country.
“Laws of the Federation are meant to be obeyed by all persons irrespective of their societal status.
“As a law abiding citizen, the Honourable Speaker will make known the direction of his political future and intention at the appropriate time.
On his part, Ihedioha dismissed the alleged links with the APC as “laughable and completely nonsensical”, coming at a time he was on a PDP assignment with President Goodluck Jonathan and other top party officials ahead of the grand rally for the August 9 governorship poll in Osun State.
Ihedioha pledged his loyalty to the PDP, adding that since 2011, he had worked hard to reposition the party in his home state, Imo.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Oke Epia, read, “The general public is hereby urged to ignore the posters and see this incident as the handiwork of mischief makers who are advised to find better things to do with their time and resources.
” The deputy speaker is fully focused on and committed to rebuilding the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nationally and in Imo State where he has remained a bulwark of the ruling party since the opposition took over the reins of government at that level in 2011.”
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, on Tuesday asked the Federal Government to negotiate with the Boko Haram sect in a bid to secure the release of the abducted Chibok school girls.
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
He emphasised that if negotiation would bring result, the government should go for it instead of searching for results where none existed.
According to him, it is wiser for government to negotiate and get the girls out and still engage the insurgents with military action afterwards.
Tambuwal made his mind known when he received members of the #BringBackOurGirls Campaign Group at the House of Representatives.
The group was led by a former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili.
The speaker recalled that, three years ago, he had proposed that the government should negotiate with the sect members at a time the situation had not degenerated, but regretted that he was ignored.
“I have maintained and it remains my position that we should negotiate with the insurgents if that will bring back our girls.
“Let us get the girls out first, then we can go out for military action.
“After all, Israel and Palestinians are still negotiating till today.
“Whatever we must do, let us do it to bring back our girls safe and alive,” he added.
Tambuwal told the group that the National Assembly had long given all necessary legislative support to the executive “all the necessary support” to combat insurgency, including appropriating funds for military operations.
The group had informed Tambuwal that they were at the House to find out the current situation regarding the freedom of the girls.
Ezekwesili, Mrs. Maryam Uwais and a former member of the House, Mr. Dino Melaye, delivered the group’s message.
Ezekwesili expressed sadness over the reality that the girls had spent 93 days in captivity.
She added that the group had been following the government on the matter, but said nothing tangible suggested that the girls were nearing freedom.
“We are yet to be persuaded that we are seeing efforts to rescue the girls,” she said.
The former assured Tambuwal that in spite of the persecution suffered by members of the group, they would continue to campaign for the rescue of the girls until they were freed.
“We remain resolute in demanding the rescue of our Chibok girls,” she stated.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, has said that the House is not running a secret cult.
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
He explained on Tuesday that the House was one to anybody seeking information on any subject of public interest.
The speaker added that the House was “transparent” in its affairs, saying that it was open to scrutiny by members of the public.
He spoke at a session with journalists, where he lamented that the House had been unfairly criticised over the years by the public.
But, the Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, held a contrary view.
Gbajabiamila argued that despite passing the Freedom of Information Act in 2011, accessing public information was still a herculean task for members of the public and journalists.
The speaker complained that the public was only interested in attacking the legislature but cared less about the challenges before the lawmakers.
Tambuwal spoke further, “We are not running a secret cult in the House; we are very transparent.
“Approach us for any information and we shall make it available. The legislature is receiving a lot of bashing from the public, but we have our limitations.
“I urge the public to appreciate our constraints. Some believe that we are just an appendage of the Executive, but that is not the case. Without the legislature, you cannot have a democratic government.”
He called for “factual” reporting by the media for a “better Nigeria.”
On his part, Gbajabiamila hailed the media for being the “strength” of the opposition in democracy.
He asked journalists to be resolute in their search for the truth.
“Information is power, and the power of our electorate lies in the quality of information at their disposal.
“I urge the press to always challenge any attempt to gag it and continue to speak or in your case, report truth to power.”
The Speaker of House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, on Saturday called on Boko Haram members to sheath the sword and embrace peace for the stability and development of the country.
Tambuwal made the call during a conference organised by Jama’atul Naasril Islam in Kaduna, Kaduna State.
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
According to him, “as a political leader, it is incumbent on me to preach peace and unity that should give way for progress of the country.”
He said all well meaning people and community leaders across the country must take steps to intervene in the current security challenge confronting the country.
“We must preach peace and unity to unite our country and our immediate society,” he said.
Tambuwal said dailogue was the utmost solution to curtail insurgency in Nigeria, as according him, confrontation would prolong terrorism in the country.
“We need to dialogue and ensure that those recalcitrant citizens are brought back to normal social fold.
“But the state would not fold its arms and watch while other innocent citizens are being killed.
“The state will continue to use its military might to defend the territorial integrity of the country until victory is achieved,” he said.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad, said peace was the bed rock of development, adding that “you cannot see development without peace.”
He called on Muslims to continually offer prayers for the peace, progress and stability of the country.
The theme of the conference was: Practical Steps in Uniting The Nigerian Muslim Ummah and the JNI Annual Pre-Ramadan Meeting.
TODAY makes it exactly three years that the Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal-led Seventh House of Representatives was inaugurated.
Three years down the line, the House has survived so many onslaughts as Tambuwal steered the arguably most vociferous Green Chamber in Africa from troubled waters.
What has made his administration unique can be largely attributed to his ability to carry fellow lawmakers along.
One year to the end of the Seventh Assembly, Tambuwal had busied himself constructing and re-constructing the House he started in 2011. His critics are, however, bitter with him for not re-constructing the leadership of the committees he inaugurated since August 2011.
Their grudge stemmed from the fact that majority of the chairmen lack the capacity to manage the affairs of the committees.
Some lawmakers, who spoke exclusively to Vanguard, said some of the juicy and sensitive committees were given to opposition members.
This, they claimed, gave the majority Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, weak bargaining power during legislative processes. But some other lawmakers debunked this assertion, saying it was the best thing that ever happened to the legislature in Nigeria because it enhances robust debates on the floor of the House.
Legislative agenda
The Legislative Agenda of the 7th Assembly is one area that Tambuwal had recorded successes in the last three years.
The House recorded above average in the Agenda, which among others include: reviewing legislative branch budget in line with the requirements of openness, effectiveness and accountability; and reviewing all relevant areas of the constitution to facilitate the implementation of the House’s legislative agenda and in line with the aspirations of Nigerians.
Tambuwal with his Deputy, Emeka Ihedioha, excelled beyond all doubts. Ihedioha’s legislative experience came to bear as he met the deadline fixed by the House.
Also in the Agenda is to engage actively with other arms of government to restore public order and national security. The House fared badly on this item. Tambuwal personally took this challenge upon himself but his dogged efforts fell like a sand castle built by the side of the ocean.
The last item on the agenda was to institutionalise mechanisms that will facilitate more effective engagement with various stakeholders including constituents and Civil Society Organisations, CSOs. Here, the 7th Assembly performed better than previous assemblies. For the first time in the history of Nigeria, the Reps took the constitution amendment process to the grassroots.
Performance of committees
The House has 89 substantive committees but among the lot only few are outstanding in their legislative duties.
The outstanding committees are Public Accounts Committee, AC; Communications and Information
Technology; Diaspora, Justice, Works and Inter-parliamentary Affairs; Aviation; Public Petitions; Foreign Affairs; and Rules and Business.
Some of the committees operate in a secretive manner as their activities are usually concealed from journalists and even fellow members.
Some committee chairmen hinged their poor performance on paucity of funds, though many members say such committee chairmen are only lazy.
Ad-hoc committees
The Fuel Subsidy Regime Monitoring ad-hoc committee led by Lawan Farouk came vide a House Resolution on January 8, 2012 to quickly checkmate the near anarchy situation in the country caused by the withdrawal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.
The revelations from the committee hearings shook the conscience of the nation and helped to project the moral fiber of the legislative chamber in its dealings with the executive arm of government.
Few months later, this major plus for the House turned into a nightmare for Farouk Lawan, who was accused of collecting bribe from business mogul, Femi Otedola, to influence the work of the panel. This major setback was the only scandal the Tambuwal’s House recorded in the last three years of its existence.
Capital market probe
An attempt to conduct another inquiry into the capital market, however, revealed the underbelly of the House that Speaker Tambuwal had so much tried to protect.
The capital market investigation initially assigned to the House Committee on Capital Market soon derailed into a scandal laced with accusations and counter-accusations of bribery and corruption. The chairman of the committee, Herman Hembe, was accused of collecting esta code for a foreign trip that was never performed.
The Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Ms Arunma Oteh, was on her part accused of sundry extravagant expenditures. In the end, the House toed the path of honour by re-assigning the investigation to an ad-hoc panel of the House headed by Hon Ibrahim El-Sudi.Hembe went to court and in April this year he was acquitted of all charges. This development vindicated the House. Till date, the executive has not looked into the report of the House on the issue.
The ad-hoc committee on Constitution Amendment led by Ihedioha lived above board and gave the 7th Assembly a big leap. However, same cannot be said of the ad-hoc committee on Petroleum Industry Bill, otherwise known as PIB. Two years after it was inaugurated nothing much has been achieved despite the massive support it has enjoyed from the House leadership.
Oversight functions
The House had gone on numerous oversight functions but much was not really achieved as most committee chairmen go on such functions without the press despite provisions by House leadership for press coverage.
This is a major minus to the 7th Assembly but can still be corrected before its extinction.
Defection of 37 PDP lawmakers
The defection of 37 PDP Reps to APC has whittled down the almost 100 percent support Tambuwal enjoyed from inception.
But this has not in anyway slowed down the pace of the Sokoto-born Rep as he still enjoys close to 75 per cent support of his legislative comrades.
Conclusively, the Tambuwal House has undoubtedly enjoyed enormous goodwill from Nigerians and has raised the standard in legislative decorum giving the much needed credibility to an institution that was battered by the recklessness of its progenitors. The matter of productivity is, however, another issue as the refusal of House leadership to change committee chairmen three years after might just be another time bomb.
This is one time bomb Tambuwal may not allow to explode as he knows how best to satisfy his colleagues who still very much believe in him.
