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Determined to ensure that any move by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to oust the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, is thwarted, members of the lower chamber from the opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC) have placed themselves on red alert, including shelving any travel plans during the five-week period of adjournment.
The extra vigilance is coming on the heels of unconfirmed moves by the executive to use the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, to reconvene the House ahead of the December 3 date set for the reconvening of the House.
APC is strategising to ensure that it helps Tambuwal to retain the leadership of the lower chamber at all costs.
The apprehension over the fate of the Speaker came just as it was revealed yesterday that the opposition party might have pruned down the expected number of delegates at its presidential primaries from 10,000 to about 8,000.
Details emerged at the weekend that part of the strategy being adopted by the APC to counter PDP’s onslaught on Tambuwal was to ensure that all its members in the lower legislative chamber are solidly behind the embattled Speaker at all times.
In addition, the APC leadership is plotting to ensure that its legislators are in Abuja most of the time and are ready to attend any sitting of the House to make sure that they out-number the PDP in the event of any move to commence impeachment proceedings. The party leadership has therefore put all its members on red alert and has asked that they remain in touch with the party’s hierarchy.
THISDAY gathered that the party leadership has also prevailed on its members in the House not to embark on travels outside Abuja or out of the country at least till the leadership tussle is over.
According to the top party source who spoke to THISDAY yesterday in Abuja, the party had engaged in series of meetings and consultations over the matter.
“Our party is mapping strategies and considering all options to protect Tambuwal against PDP’s onslaught. We have asked our members in the House of Representatives to be on alert and to make sure that they are present at all sittings. We also advised them to keep the party leadership informed about their travel plans. The party does not want to be taken unawares as far as the power tussle generated by Tambuwal’s defection is concerned, ” he said.
The idea of mobilising legislators is to ensure that PDP does not capitalise on the absence of members to push through its impeachment plot against Tambuwal.
Source: Thisday
