There are strong indications that the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, will soon defect to the All
Progressives Congress.
Correspondents gathered in Abuja on Monday that the Speaker would dump
the Peoples Democratic Party for the APC after a nationwide
consultation.
It was learnt that the nationwide consultation would determine wether
Tambuwal would contest the Presidency or the Sokoto State governorship
election in 2015.
Tambuwal's media aide, Mr. Imam 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.
He 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 secret meeting with
former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta.After the meeting, Imam
said Obasanjo and the speaker 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 defeat
of 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, Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.); the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Rabiu Musa
Kwankwaso and a former Kwara State Governor, Senator Bukola Saraki.
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