While Tambuwal Plans Ihedioha’s Impeachment, PDP Asks Deputy Speaker To Take Over [Report]

Following counter-moves from the camp of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal, to oust his deputy, who remains loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), leaders of the party have decided to adopt a two-point strategy to oust the defected Speaker.

Nigeria’s Newspaper, Tribune reports that it was learnt that the party had asked the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, to take charge of the PDP troop in the House, pending the Monday meeting, where the party would further assess its arsenal in the lower chamber.

Sources close to the PDP confirmed on Sunday that the party was reviewing reports that Tambuwal was making moves to impeach his deputy and lure more members to the All Progressives Congress (APC), so as to consolidate his position and serve out his term in office.

Sources told the Nigerian Tribune that the PDP had already informed the Deputy Speaker that he remained the leader of the “troops” in the House and that nothing would be done to make him vulnerable to Tambuwal’s antics.

A source in the National Assembly also said the PDP viewed with disdain, reports that Tambuwal was amassing arsenal to impeach the deputy speaker for his loyalty to PDP.

“We found this very absurd and I can assure you that the formidable cordon already formed around the deputy speaker will not allow that,” the source said.

It was also gathered that the PDP had resolved to adopt a two-way approach to the Tambuwal debacle.

One is to get him out through the courts, by seeking interpretation of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution and the second option is to seek the required number to impeach him.

“The PDP will not relent until the Speaker relinquishes the position due to the PDP. We have only witnessed this type of development when a member of minority party holding the seat of Speaker, when there was alliance between the defunct NPN and NPP, but the PDP does not have any alliance with APC and there is no division in the PDP, so Tambuwal has to go,” the source further said.

It further said the PDP had recognised Ihedioha as its standard-bearer in the House of Representatives, adding that the plot by Tambuwal to impeach Ihedioha could only be likened to a childs’ play.