As the spate of suspensions continue within the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), speculations are rife that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal might be next on the list due to his alleged open romance with the of the opposition All Progressives’ Congress (APC).
Also being closely monitored are the governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, and the deputy national chairman of the party, Dr Sam Sam Jaja, according to informed sources.
In the past two weeks, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party led by Dr Bamanga Tukur has suspended two governors, Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers and Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto for alleged anti-party activities.
This came after numerous reports that some PDP governors including Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Nyako (Adamawa), Amaechi (Rivers), Wamakko (Sokoto) and a few others were being targeted by the party .
Speaker Tambuwal, according to our findings, is alleged to have rebuffed all entreaties by the ruling PDP to stop his public romance with the APC, especially one of its national leaders and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
A member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), who spoke with this correspondent said there was a limit the party could take such “anti-party activities” from the speaker. Hence, the axe might fall on him soon in order to prove to its followers that Tambuwal is not above the PDP and to serve as a deterrent to other members who might toe the speaker’s line.
Tinubu had, soon after the inauguration of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, mobilised the opposition lawmakers in the House to vote for Tambuwal as speaker. He defeated Mrs Mulikat Adeola, the PDP’s candidate for the office. The party had “zoned” the speakership to the south-west, but the role played by Tinubu enabled Tambuwal from the north-west to clinch the plum office.
Tambuwal has, in the last one month, been publicly sighted with Tinubu and APC leaders at several fora. One such event was when Kano State University of Science and Technology awarded Tinubu an honorary doctorate degree. Tambuwal allegedly ignored the invitation to a public function by his party and went to Kano to rejoice with Tinubu. The speaker repeated this in Ilesha, Osun State, this Monday at the launch of the “Opon Imo” (Tablet of knowledge).
The photograph he took with Governor Rauf Aregbesola, his deputy Laoye-Tomori and Tinubu featured prominently in most national dailies the next day. The PDP and the presidency were said to have frowned at the development.
“There is nothing that has not been done to discourage him (Tambuwal) from his unholy romance with the man who does not wish our party and President (Goodluck) Jonathan well, but he has refused to listen to the voice of reason. This is nothing but anti-party activity and I think our party will rise up to the occasion by calling him to order,” a leader of the PDP told our correspondent.
Besides this, the party has had a grudge against the speaker since he thwarted the zoning formula to assume the office that was originally allotted to the south-west.
It was also learnt that the party hierarchy is watching Governor Nyako closely, especially as he insists that Governor Amaechi won the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) election on May 24. All entreaties by the presidency to ensure that Nyako recognised Governor Jang as the NGF chairman hit a brick wall.
On Wednesday, Nyako said that Amaechi was the authentic NGF chair as, according to him, the election that produced him was free and fair.
For the deputy national chairman of the PDP, Dr Jaja, checks revealed that his actions are being viewed with suspicion by other members of the NWC loyal to the national chairman. He is said to be loyal to the Rivers State governor; he was Governor Amaechi’s nominee.
Furthermore, it was learnt that the inability of the national chairman to constitute the party’s disciplinary committee, which is a standing committee statutorily recognised by the party’s constitution and to be chaired by the deputy national chairman, may be connected to this development.