IGP Withdraws Tambuwal's Security

Barely twenty-four hours after the Speaker of House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, defected from the Peoples Democratic Pary (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, the policemen attached to him have been withdrawn.

According to a press statement from the Police Headquarters, Abuja yesterday, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba, ordered the withdrawal.

The statement signed by Police Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Emmanuel Ojukwu, indicated that the withdrawal of Tambuwal's police security details was an outcome of his defection to another party during a public declaration at the APC rally in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ojukwu said: "In view of the recent defection by Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and having regard to the clear provision of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has redeployed its personnel attached to his office."

The Section 68 of the constitution the IGP cited as grounds for the action provided that: A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if: being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected.

"Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored.

Prior to Tambuwal's swap to APC, early last week, he had attended a meeting of the APC in his state, Sokoto, and the governor had declared that the speaker's presence was as a friend of the party and a citizen of the state.

Following Tambuwal's announcement of his defection to APC on Tuesday, before the close of plenary, there had been speculations within the parties over his fate.

On Wednesday night, the Presidency responded tacitly by holding a meeting with the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha and the leaders of the party in the House.

In an obvious political game, Tambuwal after his defection to the APC, adjourned House business to the first week of December, giving about six weeks break, apparently to scuttle any move to unseat him as speaker.