Leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have foreclosed any move by the members of the party in the South-west to reclaim the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, currently occupied by Hon. Aminu Tambuwal.


Indication to this effect emerged at the weekend, in Ilorin, Kwara State, when the Acting National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, said the leadership of the party has zoned the position of the Leader of the House to members of the party in the South-west geo-political zone.


Baraje, who disclosed this at a news conference shortly after hosting his secondary school mates of 1971 to 72 set at the 1lorin Teachers College, added that the right candidate for the job would be announced as soon as the National Assembly resumed from vacation.


It would be recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is also the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, at the strategic zonal meeting of the party, held in  Abeokuta, Ogun State on Saturday, reiterated that the zone would still reclaim the Speakership position of the House, osaying the loss of the position was distasteful.


Hon. Aminu Tambuwal

Obasanjo said the: “Speaker of the House of Representatives, which the constitution of the party zoned to the South-west is our legitimate right which must be given back to us.”


However, Baraje said since the election of Tambuwal was the endorsement of the members of the House of Representatives, including the PDP members, the party was not going to punish or sanction any member for the action.


According to him: “There is nothing like compensation for South-west for losing out in the Speakership election and that the PDP is being administered by zoning but the position of Leader of the House had been zoned to South-west now.”


He said the House would actualise the position for the South-west zone immediately members resumed from vacation.


Baraje, who described the events and circumstances, which led to Tambuwal’s emergence on June 6, as an aberration to the instruction and tradition of the party, however, said the party had warned that the party would never entertain such “difference” again.


While stating further that, the party has ruled out the possibility of disciplining or sanctioning any member over the emergence of Tambuwal, stated that the leadership of the party was against the reported recommendation of the six-man committee of the BoT of the party, which recommended punishment for the PDP lawmakers for disobeying the party’s directive to vote against a South-west choice in the House.


The PDP chairman said the BoT of the party was only an advisory body, adding that the party’s executive was only at its liberty to either take or reject the BoT advices.


“I want to say categorically that there's no committee to discipline anybody by the party. There were comments about the behaviour of lawmakers on June 6 in the National Assembly by the BOT members, particularly by the BOT chairman, Olisegun Obasanjo. The party’s constitution says that BOT is an advisory body of the party. The party has the leverage to either take or reject the advice given.


“If the BOT is holding discussion relating to that singular instance and they are reacting in any way, it's strictly within the BOT and has not got to the party,” he said.

Desola:

Distinguish please! SW PDP not West o.

In fact! I pray say make dem never get am. Tambuwal, rock on!!!

Desola:

Who is your girl?

Can oil and water ever mix?

Desola:

Who is your girl?

Can oil and water ever mix?

Kx:

From the Homepage: South south to build regional railway lines to connect lagos,

yet when you click what opens is "South-west cant recalim house speakership"

High_Chief:

If SW should come together as one, they might be able to reclaim it. But there are so much betrayals in the group

High_Chief:

^^^I was replying to the post and as you know, the plans to give SW the speaker position was truncated by the mad-man-in-lagos, so your leaders should not blame anyone for anything. The last time, some of your elders cried to GEJ in abuja that they are being marginalized.