Malachy Uzendu
16 June 2011
Abuja — National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday set up an in-house committee to fashion out how to resolve the problems brought about by the emergence of Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and Chief Emeka Ihedioha as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively of the House of Representatives.
The party had zoned the position to the South West zone, while the North West was to produce the Deputy Speaker. But, House members chose to go against the candidate and settled for Tambuwal.
The members had also insisted on the independence of the legislative organ of government, stressing that it would be wrong to swallow anything imposed on them by PDP hook-line-and-sinker, even if it did not favour their interests or promote democracy in the country.
This informed the decision of the members to go against the imposition of Mulikat on them by the PDP National Caucus for Tambuwal and Ihedioha, who had been Deputy Chief Whip and Chief Whip respectively in the 6th assembly.
Yesterday, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP set up a committee to fashion out what is to be done to “retain the dynamism in the party and also to continue to command loyalty”.
Some officials of the party had suggested imposing stiff penalty on Tambuwal and Ihedioha for accepting the decision of the House against the decision of a tiny number of PDP members who drafted the zoning arrangement for sharing the political offices.
In fact, it was even suggested that the party should expel the duo, but the suggestion was rejected on the ground that wielding such big stick may have a backlash.
National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Ahmed Alkali confirmed that “a tiny in-house committee has been set up to look into the issue and advise the party”, but refused to speak further.
He said that it was resolved that a committee comprising of the National Secretary, Alhaji Kawu Baraje; the National Organising Secretary, Chief Secondus Uche and the National Internal Auditor, should analyse the issues and fashion out the way forward which should be adopted by the party.
It would be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President, David Mark and the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, had all congratulated Tambuwal and Ihedioha on their emergence and pledged to work with them.
On their part, Tambuwal and Ihedioha had apologised to the party for whatever their emergence may have caused the party, but explained that it was not their personal making that they emerged but through the collective will of all members of the House of Representatives.
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