DEFECTION: APC Members Get Directive To Save Tambuwal

Nkem Ikeke,

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and senators have begun moves to save the embattled Speaker of the House of Represen­tatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal.

The APC senators have resolved to stand by Tambuwal and save him from any impeachment moves from the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) as a result of his defection.
According to Daily Sun report, this resolve by the governors and senators is as a result of a directive by the leadership of the party, which mandated every member, especially those holding top elective positions to rally round Tambuwal.
The leadership of the party has asked the party’s governors to support the speaker, both financial­ly and morally as part of the measures to save him.

According to sources, the direc­tive is meant to offset litigation ex­penses in the suits, seeking to remove Tambuwal while also seeking buf­fer funds to prevent members of the House loyal to Tambuwal being lured by the PDP.

A prominent member of the party who pleaded anonymity said the governors, senators and other leaders of the party might raise money for Tambuwal, if such need arises so that he will be able to meet the finan­cial obligation that would accompany the current crisis.
He said: “A verbal directive by the leadership of our party has been giv­en that everyone, especially our gov­ernors and senators, must do what is legally possible to save the Speaker. If there is the need, more suits should be instituted to ensure we keep him in office till June 2015.”

The source explained that the suit already filed by the Speaker at the court to stop impeachment moves against him would gulp a lot of money which he cannot shoulder alone.
“We know the finan­cial implication is much because the Presidency and the PDP have taken it as a project that must be executed; we cannot fold our hands and watch them,” he added.
Asked whether there was a specified amount each governor and senator was expected to give, the source said though there was no agreed amount, no governor would give anything less than N25 million.
He further disclosed that some senators were opposed to the idea of imposing any levy on members of the party, preferring the party to shoulder the burden squarely with minimal in­tervention from them and governors.
READ ALSO: Abuja Court Asks IG To Return Tambuwal’s Security Details
Lending his voice to the matter, an APC lawmaker, who also does not want his name mentioned claimed that some governors saw the directive as insensitive to the current liquidity problems ravaging states.
He said though Tambuwal needed the support of all the party members in his current predicament, the directive would be hard to fulfil as some of the legislators were currently involved in campaigns for their reelec­tion.
However, when contacted, the media aide to the Speaker, Imam Imam, said he was not aware of any directive to governors and senators from the APC leadership.
Tambuwal, who dumped PDP for APC, has been receiving huge tackles from PDP and the executive, includ­ing threat of impeachment. Police au­thorities are yet to restore his security details, stripped of him soon after his defection.
Following his defection from PDP to APC, Tambuwal has been tackled by his former party, the PDP. His security aides were withdrawn and now he facing impeachment threats.
Yesterday, November 8, Tambuwal disclosed that his fate as the Speaker of the House is now in the hands of the God.