PDP Reps to await court on Tambuwal

The PDP caucus in the House of Representatives will await a court pronouncement on the status of defectors before taking action on Speaker Aminu Tambuwal who left the ruling party yesterday, the Deputy House Leader has said.Mr. Leo Ogor told journalists in Abuja that the People’s Democratic Party lawmakers would take the necessary action to […]

The PDP caucus in the House of Representatives will await a court pronouncement on the status of defectors before taking action on Speaker Aminu Tambuwal who left the ruling party yesterday, the Deputy House Leader has said.
Mr. Leo Ogor told journalists in Abuja that the People’s Democratic Party lawmakers would take the necessary action to protect the interest of their party, following the speaker’s defection to the All Progressives Congress.
“(Tambuwal) came through a political party which was PDP, so by the provision of Section 68 (g) of the constitution, which is still before a court of jurisdiction, we await the ruling of the court on the matter,” Ogor said.
He was referring to a constitutional provision that requires legislators to vacate their seats if they defect to another party unless their defection is caused by a split in their former party or a merger.
A Federal High in Abuja had on March 31 ruled that defector lawmakers must leave, but those affected have since lodged an appeal which is yet to be determined.
With Tambuwal’s defection, the PDP now has 188 members in the House, to APC’s 160. The remaining 12 lawmakers are members of some smaller parties.
His cross-carpeting makes him the first from a minority party to be the speaker since the inception of this dispensation in 1999.
His supporters argue that there is no law barring a minority party member from holding the post of speaker. They cite Section 50 (b) of the 1999 Constitution that says there shall be “a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.”
Ogor said yesterday the speaker’s defection “was quite unexpected (but) has no major implication on our political party.”
He added that Tambuwal’s defection does not mean that the PDP lost control of the House, as the speaker only presides over sessions.
“He sits down there as the presiding officer; we run the affairs of the House. And as people who control the House, we must go the extra mile to protect the interest of our party. We are not going to lose our sleep because Tambuwal defected to the APC. Based on that, we will wish him good luck,” he said.
In her reaction, House Leader Mulikat Akande-Adeola said the PDP would take action at the appropriate time.
“This is a party affair. Members take decision on the floor based on party. So, the party will take decision at the appropriate time,” she said without being specific.
Earlier in the day, Tambuwal formally announced his defection to the APC during the plenary session.
In a 3-paragraph message he read at about 12.20pm just before adjourning the session, the speaker said he was leaving the PDP because of political developments in his home state of Sokoto.
Unlike the usual defection announcements which come at the beginning of plenary session, Tambuwal delayed his own to the end of sitting, just as he was to rule on a 5-week adjournment till December 3.
The holiday was to give members time to participate in their political parties’ primaries.
“Before I hit the gavel on the motion for adjournment, I want to make this formal announcement to this House,” Tambuwal said after a motion was moved to adjourn the House.
“Based on the provision of the 1999 Constitution and having regards to the development of PDP in my own state, Sokoto State, I hereby announce my membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Let me register my profound appreciation to all of you my colleagues for the unflinching support you have continued to extend to me for the overall national interest and development of our democracy. May almighty God continue to guide us all.”
The announcement was greeted with chants of “APC! APC!” by members of the party, as many of them walked up to have a hand shake with the speaker.
Our reporters observed that PDP members appeared unhappy, though some of them wore smiles on their faces.
Tambuwal’s defection was long in coming, as he had been known to have sympathies for the APC. He had also pulled back from PDP affairs for a long time.
Meanwhile, the APC leadership in the House said it welcomed Tambuwal’s defection and that he remains the speaker.
Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) told journalists shortly after yesterday’s plenary session: “We welcome and applaud the Speaker’s decision.
“Ever since the crises started in PDP which led to the formation of the ‘New PDP’, and the defection of five PDP governors, 37 PDP members of the House of Representatives to the APC, and the formal merger of the ‘New PDP’ with the APC, we had all along known that this day will come.
“We are proud to acknowledge that the Speaker remains not only a member of the House of Representatives but also its Speaker. This position is consistent with the law and practice in a presidential system of government.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Constitution requires only, that ‘Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be elected by members of that House from among themselves’. Rt. Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has been a Speaker for all the members, all the political parties and for all Nigerians and will so continue.”