Tambuwal: PDP turns down Obasanjo’s request

The Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday turned down former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s request that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, should vacate his post for the South West to take the slot.

The Acting National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, at a news conference on the registration of new members, said the PDP would not punish Tambuwal for violating its zoning arrangement.

Baraje also gave conditions for the return of former members such as ex-governor Gbenga Daniel and his Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, to the party.

The PDP had zoned the Speakership of the House of Representatives to the South West and the deputy speakership to the North East.

But the members of the House, on June 6 contrary to the zoning arrangement, elected Tambuwal from the North-West as speaker and Emeka Ihedioha as his deputy.

The former president has consistently expressed his opposition to Tambuwal’s emergence, saying it would kill the PDP’s power sharing formula.

On Saturday, Obasanjo again at the South West meeting of the PDP insisted that the party must redress injustice done to the zone through Tambuwal’s emergence.

Obasanjo had said, “The thing in the PDP is that everything should be equitably distributed. The issue of speakership should be addressed because, if not, we will lose greater things. The issue of zoning of secretary; it is ours, not that they zoned it to us. Our priority is to redress the speakership issue first.”

But commenting on Obasanjo’s request that Tambuwal and Ihedioha should step down when after two years in office, Baraje said the party did not have any intention to force them out.

The acting chairman noted that the leadership of the House defied the order by the party on zoning.

He, however, said since Tambuwal and others involved in the rebellion had approached the party and sought for forgiveness, there was nothing the party could do than to forgive them.

Baraje said, “When people accept their fault, there is no need to punish them anymore. They have apologised and said they were sorry. The party has accepted their apologies and as far as the party is concerned, that matter is behind us.”

He said Daniel and Fayose must queue behind old members if they wished to return to the party.

The party said it was not against the return of those who defected from the party, but added that this set of people would have to follow due process in their desire to return.

Baraje said the ongoing membership registration of the party would not exclude anyone who desires to be a member of the party.

He said it was not the intention of the leadership of the party to stop anyone interesting in either joining or returning to the party, but added that they must be ready to abide by the party’s constitution.

Article 8 of the party’s constitution deals with eligibility and membership of the party

Specifically, Article 8.9 reads, “Persons who desire to rejoin the party after leaving it shall, unless exempted by the National Working Committee, be placed on probation for a period time not less than a year.”