Exclusive: PDP Moves to Sanction Ihedioha, Others As Group Endorses Tambuwal For President

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News, Politics Sunday, October 26th, 2014

Ayodele Afolabi, Abuja.

It appears to be pay-back time for the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha and other ‘disloyal’ members of the House of Representatives on the platform of the ruling party who worked against the party’s zoning in 2011.

Sources close to the PDP revealed that the day of reckoning has come for the lawmakers in this category, as the party is ready to take its pound of flesh by denying them the PDP ticket.

Nigeria’s House of Reps Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha

In 2011, the PDP zoned the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions to the South west and North east respectively, Ihedioha and some PDP Representatives kicked against the zoning and enthroned Hon Aminu Tambuwal who is from North west.

Ihedioha is said to be unsettled by the plan of his party to deal with them and has been sending emissaries to plead on his behalf.

Ihedioha is eyeing the governorship seat of Imo State but unless there is a change of mind by the PDP leadership, our source disclose that his ambition, may remain a pipe dream.

It was reliably gathered that PDP is ready to pay some of the lawmakers back in their own coin especially when they refused to heed the call of the party.

“Some of the party men who brought the issue forward at PDP leaders meeting recently, argued that for being disloyal to the party, they should not be given ticket to return or go for higher position”.

“They pointed out that since, the leadership of the House was hijacked, they have been confrontational with president Goodluck Jonathan”.

Sources also revealed that governors of all the PDP state have been instructed to ensure that all the lawmakers found guilty in their states should be dealt with accordingly.

It was revealed that the deputy speaker may be denied the ticket in Imo State rather Hon Bethel Amadi is being considered since it was believed that he was a reliable and loyal member.

It was also gathered that the Jigawa State governor is working toward blocking Hon Bashir Adamu who was penciled to take over from Hon Tambuwal any time he steps down after his defection.

Efforts to get across to Ihedioha and his aides at press time for comments prove abortive as their lines were switch off.

Meanwhile, a group of lawmakers in the House said they have endorsed Speaker Aminu Tambuwal to run for the president in 2015 general election because of his track record as an astute politician.

The group under the aegis of Tambuwal For President,TFC at the weekend said it has endorsed the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal for president.

Members of the group however chose to speak only under the condition of anonymity for now as their identity may generate bad blood.

One of such lawmakers from the South West geopolitical zone of Nigeria said “we know the stuff Tambuwal is made of and we from the south and the north will buy his nomination form and ensure he contests”.

“For now Tambuwal has the credentials to occupy the number one spot in Nigeria as he has proven to all that he is not a sectional leader but a complete detribalised Nigerian with a midas touch”.

“We are backing him with every available non-violent weapon to achieve this dream because we believe that Tambuwal’s candidature and eventual victory at the polls will ensure good governance at all levels in Nigeria of tomorrow”.

Another stakeholder who is from the North West zone of the country also spoke in the same vein saying “we in the north are solidly behind him and will help to guide and guard him to victory come 2015 mark my words”.

It was also gathered that the group clamouring for Tambuwal to run the presidential race against the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan had held several meetings in Lagos before taking this common position.