RUNNING AGAINST THE WIND!
Tambuwal Jittery over Withdrawal of Security Details…‘Not Fit to Contest Sokoto State Governorship’, says Hon. Mohammed, Chairman, Sokoto State Citizens Abroad (North America)
*APC: “Withdrawal of Tambuwal Security Details open him to Danger, Executive Radicalism & Abuse of Constitution”
*SSS Recalls Aides to Speaker
*IGP: “In view of the recent defection by the Rt Hon. Aminu Tambuwal (CFR) the Speaker of the House of Representative of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressive Congress and having regard to section 68 (1) g of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended, the Nigerian Police Force has withdrawn the Police personnel attached to his office”
BY GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, CHICAGO
SUDDEN withdrawal of the security detail attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal by both the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and State Security Services (SSS) ahead of the 2015 Elections have been generating discordant tunes in a section of the polity. And claims given by the office of the Inspector General of Police, citing a political breach of the constitution by Tambuwal having left Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-the political party that brought him to power to Nigeria’s major opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has further made APC to raise more alarm over the safety of the Speaker. Over 24 hours after his defection to APC, laced with dances, brooms in hands and formal public presentation, the security details attached to the Speaker, Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Tambuwal have been withdrawn.
Nigeria Police Position Rising in stout defense of this action taken by NPF, Suleiman Abba Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) who defended the withdrawal through a statement by the Force Public Relation Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu said that the Speaker security aides were withdrawn due to his defection from PDP, the party that elected him Speaker.
He cited the violation section 68 (1) g of the 1999 constitution as the basis for his action.
IGP statement reads: “In view of the recent defection by the Rt Hon. Aminu Tambuwal (CFR) the Speaker of the House of Representative of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from the People Democratic Party to the All Progressive Congress and having regard to section 68 (1) g of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended, the Nigerian Police Force has withdrawn the Police personnel attached to his office.”
Following same step, State Security Service (SSS) withdrew their officers attached to the Speaker, with no statement. Though the Speaker after his defection refused to resign his position, this prompted the law enforcement agencies to practically enforce the ‘law.
APC Reacts
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State this afternoon reacted with outrage to the news of the withdrawal of the security details of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Tambuwal, in the wake of his defection to the party from the ruling PDP. Rivers APC in a statement signed by the State Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, described the withdrawal of Tambuwal security details as “executive radicalism and abuse of the country’s Constitution.” His words: “We wish to call on Nigerians to condemn this affront on the fourth citizen of our nation and insult on our representatives. Let us reiterate that it is the constitutional right of Tambuwal to freely associate with any party of his choice, including, of course, APC,” Dr. Ikanya said in the statement issued in Port Harcourt. He said that “It is only an unserious politician who will continue to stay in a sinking party like PDP that has brought our nation shame and pains and made us a laughing stock before the international community. We therefore ask for the immediate reversal of this obnoxious order and commend Tambuwal for the bold step he has taken to join the party for a new Nigeria.” Continuing, Ikanya said: “As we sympathize with the present leadership of PDP for making the party the largest undemocratic party in Africa and leading it to its present sorrowful state and imminent demise, we wish to further state that those calling for the resignation of the Speaker arejust exposing their level of ignorance of the functions of the House of Reps and our Constitution. Speaker Tambuwal was duly elected by the generality of the House members and can only be removed by impeachment by 240 members of the House. With only 180 PDP members in the House, from where are they are going to get the extra 60 members to aid them in the impeachment of Tambuwal? They should accept the reality that an APC Speaker is now in place, signaling the beginning of the take-over of the mantle of leadership by our great party on 29th May, 2015.” Rivers APC advised the ignorant PDP leadership to try and read Section 50 (1)(b) of our Constitution, which states: ‘There shall be a Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.’ The party pointed out that the Speaker was elected as the representative of the “generality ofNigerians” and not necessarily because he belonged to a particular political party. “As we await the mass decampment of the remaining 50 PDP members of the House we wish to urge President Jonathan to stop overheating the polity and start writing his handover note because he stands no chance of implementing any third term agenda next year as we will resist such an unholy attempt, “Rivers APC said. The party insisted that all hope is lost for both Jonathan and PDP, asking: “With Kano, Lagos and Rivers states in the kitty of APC and with the likely elimination of rigging during the 2015 general elections, what realistic chances does PDP have in the 2015 general elections?” …‘Not Fit to Contest Sokoto State Governorship’, says Hon. Mohammed, Chairman, Sokoto State Citizens Abroad (North America) Hon Lukman Mohammed, Chairman, Sokoto State Citizens Abroad (North America) rising from an emergency meeting in Houston, Texas said: “Tambuwal is a dreamer. His political future is in ruins. PDP is the clear leading party. I can tell you that hundreds of Sokoto natives here abroad have long concluded that he wasted his money for picking the APC nomination form because he is not fit to contest or be the Governor of Sokoto State in 2015. We have made all arrangements; you will see that PDP candidate, Aljahi Yusuf Suleiman, direct descendant of the royal Sokoto Caliphate with support from the majority of Sokoto State indigenes home and overseas would be our next Governor Insha Allah.”
