Amid reports that the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party(PDP) is desirous of
reconvening a session of the House of
Representatives to commence the process
of removing Speaker Aminu Tambuwal,
federal lawmakers elected on the platform
of the party have given stringent
conditions to do so.
But the thrust of the conditions, the
minimum of which is the promise of
return tickets for them in 201, might be
rejected by both the ruling party and
President Goodluck Jonathan,
LEADERSHIP learnt.
Tambuwal last week dumped the ruling
party for the opposition All Progressives
Congress (APC) and immediately
adjourned the House till December 3,
2014.
Since the speaker’s defection to the APC,
reports have been rife that the ruling
party, which had asked Tambuwal to step
aside as speaker, was mulling a plot to
unseat him. Tambuwal is already in court
to forestall any such move by the PDP.
It was gathered that today’s meeting
between the national chairman of the PDP
and the federal lawmakers would centre
on some of the conditions the latter had
stipulated in order for them to move for
Tambuwal’s scalp.
Apart from the issue of automatic tickets
for their 2015 return, other commitments
the lawmakers want the PDP leadership
to make include a promise to assist those
of them who are aspiring to be senators
as well as those who have indicated their
interest to be governors in their states.
LEADERSHIP gathered that at a
preliminary meeting between the PDP
caucus in the House and the leadership of
the party, with President Jonathan in
attendance, deputy speaker Emeka
Ihedioha was said to have had an
altercation with the Akwa Ibom State
governor Godswill Akpabio who had
accused PDP members in the House of
Representatives of playing the second
fiddle by allowing the opposition to have
a field day.
Ihedioha was said to have fired back at
Governor Akpabio, reminding him that as
chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum,
he and his colleagues had done nothing
to motivate PDP federal lawmakers, unlike
their counterparts in the APC.
The timely intervention Mu’azu was said
to have saved the day as he immediately
initiated today’s meeting where the issues
are likely to be ironed out.
Regardless, today’s meeting might run
into some hitches as the lawmakers have
insisted on the conditions being met.
LEADERSHIP reports that the return bids
of more than half of the PDP lawmakers
in the House of Representatives are
threatened owing, in some cases, to
disagreements between them and their
governors.
…Tambuwal meets APC Reps caucus in
Lagos today
But barring any last minute change of
plan, Tambuwal will hold a high-level
scheduled meeting with the APC caucus
of the House in Lagos today.
The meeting is expected to deliberate on
the next course of action to stave off
possible threats to Tambuwal following
his defection.
The speaker had also adjourned plenary
to December 3 immediately after his
defection, a development which the APC
caucus attributed to the need to allow
members to participate in the ongoing
build-up to party primaries.
A source close to the speaker said that
the PDP caucus in the House was yet to
communicate its purported intention to
reconvene plenary as proposed at a
clandestine meeting held last Friday, led
by Ihedioha.
The PDP leadership is said to have
commenced lobbying some lawmakers
who are believed to be loyal to Tambuwal
in order to win them over for a smooth
operation.
The speaker, according to sources,
travelled to Lagos for today’s meeting
without any security detail.
…Presidency to assess loyalty of PDP
aspirants
The presidency has concluded plans to
make all aspirants under the PDP undergo
an assessment to ascertain their loyalty
to President Goodluck Jonathan in the
run-up to the 2015 general elections.
The assessment entitled, ‘Presidential
Support Base Programme,’ would serve
as a signpost as to whether or not
aspirants would merit the support of the
presidency ahead of the election.
This move is an initiative of the office of
the Special Adviser to the President on
Political Affairs in conjunction with
Nigerian Economic and Political Action
Committee (NEPAC).
NEPAC director-genera, Dr. Godson
Nnaka, in a statement yesterday noted
that the assessment would ensure that
only those with tendency to maximum
loyalty to President Goodluck Jonathan
were supported to win elections.
The statement added that the assessment
would evaluate and shortlist aspirants on
classified basis.
The aim of the assessment by the
presidency is to foreclose defections by
elected PDP officers, an apparent reaction
to Speaker Tambuwal’s defection to the
opposition last week.
Besides the speaker, five hitherto PDP
governors had since joined the APC
alongside members of the national and
states assembly.
“The objectives of this programme is to
identify, evaluate and shortlist aspirants
on classified basis, who if supported to
victory will maintain maximum loyalty and
be part of a strong support base for
President Goodluck Jonathan beyond
2015,” Nnaka explained.
He added that the assessment would be
conducted in the six geo-political zones
for National Assembly and Houses of
Assembly aspirants, while Abuja would
host gubernatorial aspirants.
Only Tambuwal, principal officers can
reconvene House
- Reps
The alleged plot by the PDP to have the
deputy speaker, Hon Emeka Ihedioha,
reconvene the House to begin
impeachment proceedings against
Speaker Tambuwal for defecting from
the PDP to the APC has suffered a
setback as the House of Representatives
yesterday stated that it lacked the power
to do so.
The lawmakers stressed that the House
could only be reconvened after all leaders
of political parties in the House, especially
the majority and minority leaders, give
approval for the House to be called back
from recess.
In a press statement signed by the
chairman of the House Committee on
Media and Public Affairs, Hon Zakari
Mohammed, yesterday, the lawmakers
noted that the House Standing Orders,
which is a guide to proceedings in the
House, states emphatically that the
speaker may approve a date to reconvene
the House from recess after leaders of all
the political parties in the House notify
him that public interest requires that the
House should meet on an earlier or a later
date or time than that on which it was
supposed to resume.
The statement read in part, “The
procedure for reconvening or re-assembly
of the House is contained in the House
Standing Orders made pursuant to
Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, which
empowers the House to regulate its own
procedure, including the procedure for
summoning and recess of the House.
“This means that the leaders of all the
political parties in the House, especially
the majority and minority leaders
respectively, MUST consent before the
representation is made to the speaker
who has a discretion to agree or not”.
The House spokesman said the
explanation of the proceedings became
necessary following intense media focus
on the adjournment and media inquiries
on the appropriate procedure for recalling
the House from recess.
Nothing should happen to Tambuwal,
NLC warns
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has
demanded the immediate restoration of
Speaker Tambuwal’s security detail and
all the rights and privileges that accrue to
his office.
The union, in a statement by its general
secretary, Dr Peter Ozo-Eson, stated that
it was appalled by the withdrawal of his
security details, ostensibly because he
had defected to the opposition APC.
“The act is shameful, distasteful,
unconstitutional and demonstrates our
parochial sense of power and very little
knowledge of history,” the union stated.
It stressed that no part of the Nigerian
constitution said that the speaker must
come from the majority party.
“Section 50(1)(b) only 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…” the NLC
argued.
Giving instances, the NLC stated that in
the Second Republic, the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Chief Edwin
Ume-Ezeoke, was elected from the ranks
of the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP), the
third strongest party after Unity Party of
Nigeria (UPN) and the ruling National
Party of Nigeria (NPN).
The statement reads in part: “We it
appropriate to cite the examples of
Mimiko and Ali Modu-Sheriff, governor of
Ondo State and former governor of Borno
State respectively. Their security details
were not withdrawn when they defected
to the PPD.
“It gives us concern that our political
leaders are determined to learn very little
about democracy and always seem too
keen to overheat the polity over things
that count for little. The police and other
security agencies complicit in this
disgusting conduct should hold their
heads in shame.
“For those who take pleasure in
converting to personal use, public/state
institutions, today’s men soon become
yesterday’s men. What goes around,
comes around.” leadership.ng/news/389087/tambuwals-impeachment-plot-pdp-reps-give-conditions-jonathan-party-chair

“From the surveys we have conducted, the PDP cannot win any free and
fair election in any part of Nigeria because they have brought woes,
sorrows and tears to Nigerians and they must just go.”

Politics is all about give and take, the PDP house of rep members should ensure they also get automatic tickets like GEJ at the very list.

One mistake that PDP keep making is that the era of one big party ( PDP) with peripheral and regional parties where PDP dictate event and national political direction is gone.....there is a serious title contender now.

.

OK

Today, patriotism to the nation has now been reduced to Loyalty to the zoologist and his Wife

I'm sure pdp will drop the intention of reclaiming the speakership because there's just atmost 5 months remaining for the speaker to remain in the office after reconvention of plenary by December 3td but will restrategize to avoid a future repeat

but I still forsee tambuwal winning in sokoto state n will return to pdp by 2017

we should not be exchanging words between ourselves on social media because of this politicians because the words we say may make us permanent enemies while those politicians reconciles faster than the speed of light

support wisely but don't hate ur fellow because of any politician

If I were PDP I will apply the ruling of the Federal High court that bar the PDP defected lawmakers from making any contribution in the house to get the required 2/3 majority hitherto to use and impeach the stray speaker. Period!

Funny but don't be surprise if they all get return tickets irrespective of their performance all in a bid to halt Tambuwal...Their demands are hard to meet especially those aspiring for Senate and Governorship of their respective States but don't underestimate a desperate GEJ...
Nigeria is just a play ground for this id.iots, we've got a collective responsibility to Boot'em off come 2015...

tambuwal will surely win again in d court of law Cos' d law support it.

Johnnyessence:
“From the surveys we have conducted, the PDP cannot win any free and
fair election in any part of Nigeria because they have brought woes,
sorrows and tears to Nigerians and they must just go.”

what about your lost lollipops,whos gonna be blamed for that?

When they ask for "return tickets" etc, they're basically asking the President to rig, influence and corrupt the elections on their behalf?

What a shameful country.

ilugunboy:
One mistake that PDP keep making is that the era of one big party ( PDP) with peripheral and regional parties where PDP dictate event and national political direction is gone.....there is a serious title contender now.

nl's reguler el'ewòn nla nla. Ngwakwe's experiMENTAL jailbird..
Tambole is done_gone..

egift:
Today, patriotism to the nation has now been reduced to Loyalty to the zoologist and his Wife

GEJ needs a competent Political Adviser.... The hand writing of Tambuwal defection was on the wall... They should have been proactive in their measures and not allow Tambuwal to detect the game for them.
GEJ is still learning politics....
GEJ till 2019 though.

When we say GEJ is a learner people go dey curse us, didn't he know that the reps will demand their own share of endorsements.
GEJ cannot muster the necessary 2/3 majority to remove Tambuwal so let him and that busy body Akpabio go and sleep.

Rexxie:

nl's reguler el'ewòn nla nla. Ngwakwe's experiMENTAL jailbird..
Tambole is done_gone..

Ngwakwe is no longer a Mod in this section and that is even beside the point.

Contribute intelligently here or keep quiet.

*laughing furiously*

ilugunboy:


Ngwakwe is no longer a Mod in this section and that is even beside the point.

Contribute intelligently here or keep quiet.

i know that already,seun was forced to...u'know,so u epileptic whistling arsses wud stop foaming in da mouth..so baba agba oni'tubu,kini 411 nau?

All i know is that GEJ is gone.

Gej is just wasting his time tambuwal is still d speaker forget oooooooo .

Oh no

ISpiksDaTroof:
When they ask for "return tickets" etc, they're basically asking the President to rig, influence and corrupt the elections on their behalf?

What a shameful country.

can you please stfu? whoever told you given return ticket means they win their constituency? stypiid pink nose hypocrite, why not mind the problem ravaging your country first before coming here to post gibberish about another

Renegotiation upon negotiation.

Hope the conditions favor the citizens of our dear country?

See greed of the highest order.



Everybody fighting for his own self interest.

Loyalty to Jonathan?

I'd have expected loyalty to PDP or to Nigeria.

Or is PDP now private property of one man?

These manner of information is why more and more people are turning away from this government.

You are president but that's not enough - you also want everyone in your party. You want no dissenting voices. You demand to own the party that brought you to limelight. Your wife wants to choose governors for states and calls governors her sons. Yet while a sixth of the country is burning with hundreds killed daily, you have no words for them other than "it is opposition that doesn't like me" whist claiming you know these murderers but refusing to name them. Rather, known and confirmed convicts are so many beside you

I really don't get how anyone would expect a normal humans' support for what I detailed above. Add that to how we all saw him as a break from the past and the euphoria of a non-establishment man living in Aso Rock post 2011 and all I can do is feel bad for Nigeria

The presidency has concluded plans to make all aspirants under the PDP undergo an assessment to ascertain their loyalty to President Goodluck Jonathan in the run-up to the 2015 general elections. The assessment entitled, ‘Presidential Support Base Programme,’ would serve as a signpost as to whether or not aspirants would merit the support of the presidency ahead of the election. This move is an initiative of the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs in conjunction with Nigerian Economic and Political Action Committee (NEPAC).

Jonathan himself fears that he might never returns to Aso Rock because he knows himself that he has failed woefully. The reality has befallen him, now, he suppose to consult himself but unfortunately he still engaged the same set of ppl who has been deceiving him to assess the loyalty of aspirants; that is what they call daftness and foolishness.
Meanwhile, I thought the assessment suppose to be who can best serve the ppl of Nigeria and has not have negative public image