APC govs, senators move to save Tambuwal

IT emerged at the weekend that leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have concluded arrangements to save the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, from being removed from office on account of his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Sources in Abuja told the Nigerian Tribune that the leaders, at a meeting on the matter last week, resolved to raise a huge war chest to forestall any legal impediment to Tambuwal’s continued stay in office as Speaker.

A source close to the party said the leaders have made appropriate directives to APC governors and senators to come to the aid of Speaker Tambuwal as a plethora of cases already instituted were beyond what his office could cope with in his official capacity.

The source said: “A directive has been given that everyone, especially governors and senators must do what is within their powers to save the speaker. If there is the need, more suits should be instituted to ensure we keep him in office till June 2015.

So far, the instruction is to raise at least N25 million per state to the cause of the embattled speaker.

It was said that the legal fees would continue to rise, as all matters were expected to terminate at the Supreme Court.

It was, however, gathered that the directive was already creating ripples, as some governors and senators were rejecting the bid.

Some of the lawmakers were said to have rejected the directive on the strength of the claim that the party could take up the matter itself, rather than taxing any of the states.

Some of the governors are already saying that the directive is arbitrary, insensitive and that the present liquidity problems ravaging that states was a source of worry for the governors already.

A lawmaker also stated that the directive was difficult to fulfil in an era when all lawmakers were seeking funds for elections.

An aide to one of the governors told the Nigerian Tribune: “My governor has vowed not to contribute any dime to such venture. We are finding it every difficult to pay salaries, we are cutting down on so many overheads and after such belt-tightening measures comes an order to contribute N25 million to save someone, whose office is supposedly richer than most of the states.

“If we had, maybe we would have contributed, but in this case, we don’t have and we can’t embark on any luxury of pretence. Honestly, it is tight for all states now and we expected the national office of our party to be sensitive and considerate.”

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

Sources also said that the APC believed that the series of legal actions already instituted against the PDP would ensure the speaker remained in office till the end of his tenure.