Reps: Shape of shocks to come

The House of Representatives, arguably, more than any institution of government, has been posting interesting drama in recent times.

The comedies are not about to end. Rather, in months to come, likely more fascinating episodes may be availed to Nigerians.

Yes, the Presidency and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic, PDP, are still plotting ways to dethrone the Speaker of the Chamber, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, as a pay back for defecting to the rival All Progressives Congress, APC. But that is not what should worry the public most. The aspect that should elicit the concern of many is that little or nothing will come out of the Chamber between now and the end of next year’s general election. This is why it will be so.

Apart from all the members being involved in activities and programmes that can help them return in June 2015, the Speaker and his deputy, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, will be focused on their campaigns. The duo will be involved in high profile electioneering.

While Tambuwal may be vying for either presidency or Sokoto governorship, Ihedioha is contesting the Imo governorship.  Whether or not the two will fly the flag of their parties will be known in the next couple of weeks when the primaries will take place. Clinching the tickets of their parties for the top executive offices will, naturally, excite the duo but it will have a far-reaching implication on the proceeding of the House.

The first is that there would be nobody to preside at plenary. This is because neither Tambala nor Ihedioha will accept to leave his campaigns for any legislative assignment. This will be novel to political observers. Hardly can any Nigerian remember an election year where the Speaker and the deputy flew the flag of their party or parties, either as presidential candidate or governorship hopeful at the same time.

Right now, much buzz has greeted the adjournment of the House till December 3 by the leadership. Interpretations given to the decision have been varied. The Presidency, its supporters and majority of PDP faithful are of the opinion that Tambuwal goaded the House to take the step to check possible onslaught that might come his way as a result of his shift of allegiance to APC. The Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Mulikat Adeola-Akande, made an oblique expression to that effect. In her recent interaction with newsmen in her office, she claimed that the choice of December 3 was opposed by her. Apart from that she declared that Tambuwal never confided in her that he was leaving PDP .

Her claim has been punctured by APC lawmakers who insisted that she was not only among the principal officers that took the decision to adjourn till December 3 but was the person that announced the date on the floor of the House before the plenary was brought to a close.

The battle over the adjournment is still being fought at courts. However, even if the date remains, the truth is that more shocking surprises are still going to emerge from the chamber. By the schedule of the House, the lawmakers will only spend a week in the chamber when they return on December 3 before proceeding for another long vacation.

The one week is probably, going to be used to address critical issues like the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the 2015 budget. How well the House handles these items within the short period is entirely another matter.

Agreed the House Committee on FINANCE headed by Hon Abdulmumuni Jibrin (APC, Kano) and that of Appropriation, chaired by Hon John Enoh (PDP, Cross River) have consistently assured that that MTEF and the budget are being worked upon, there are growing fears even among House members that the items are not getting adequate attention.

A principal officer who pleaded for anonymity told Daily: “We are not giving attention to any other thing except our tickets and election. The executive is not listening to any other thing apart from how to return Mr. President in 2015. Things like this are seen in every election year. There is nothing strange about what you the media are seeing in the House. We hope to wrap up the budget issue as soon as possible. What I cannot promise you is that any member will devote as much time on it as we did last year or two years ago. Our preoccupation now is on how to convince delegates to vote for us in our parties’ primaries. After that we will channel our attention to the main election. Some of our members have not been to the chamber since September, they have been in their constituency and states fighting all the battles involved in getting a ticket to return.

“The chamber, for several months, have been recording empty seats, prepare to see worse scenarios. The Speaker and his Deputy are contesting higher offices. Several other members are vying for similar offices. Their spirit and body are with their new ambitions. We all will only come back to our senses after the National Assembly elections next year”.

The situation in the House is, sure, going to be the same with the senate. But what makes the House’s case an interesting scenario is that whereas the Senate President, David Mark and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu are only involved in how to return to the red chamber and therefore will concentrate their campaigns only within their senatorial districts, Tambuwal and Ihedioha have wider political spaces to cover.

If Tambala eventually emerge as the candidate of APC, he would have to travel to all the 36 states to campaign. And that will stretch to April. If he settles for Sokoto governorship he will have lesser geographical miles to cover. But he would still not pay attention to issues concerning the House. Same for Ihedioha. The permutations, of course, depend on their ability to secure the tickets of their parties. But, whichever way the game turns, the House’s business is, predictably, going to suffer. The door of the chamber is sure going to be closed longer than necessary.

Why we endorsed Tambuwal, APC Rep

A House of Representatives member from Ebonyi, Hon. Peter Edeh, has said the House members and other Nigerians RAISED MONEY to buy the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential expression of intents and nomination forms for the Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal, because they want to save Nigeria from further slide to hopelessness.

He said the nation needed somebody of Tambuwal’s leadership quality to steer it out of its current challenges.

“We are of the firm belief that these are very uncommon times in Nigeria, the country is facing enormous challenges and having examined everything that is going on in our nation, we are convinced of the need to find a solution and to bring our country into a country of our dreams.

“We have decided to urge Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to consider presenting himself as a candidate for the office of president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We did this in the conviction that Alhaji Tambuwal is a unifier, his track records as Speaker of the House has proven him as a unifier, somebody who can bring the people together and make them work together as one. Somebody who can energise Nigerians to fight for the country that we all desire. This is a leader who despite all the malaise in the country has till date not been dented of corruption. He is known to be very detribalized,” he said.

He assured that more professionals, students and lawmakers across party lines will soon rally round the Speaker and work for the success of his presidential project.

Responding, Tambuwal said he was elated and moved by the show of love and commitment to the course of the oneness of Nigeria, and to the progress of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as demonstrated by his colleagues.

“My kind words for identifying me as such a personality, that in your belief posses some of these qualities that the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is expected to have. And I’m humbled by this gesture. I must say that this is most akin to what happened in 2011 after the general election when I left my federal constituency of Kebbe/Tambuwal in Sokoto State to resume as an elected member. And my colleagues in the House of Representatives and several other Nigerians in consideration of the need to have a stable, focused and progressive House of Reps decided that I should become and serve as their Speaker.

“And to God be the glory, that with every sense of humility, we have done fairly well so far in leadership of the House. And I’m sure, part of what you have identified as a trait of leadership in me are coming from the way  we have been able to manage the affairs of the House, and therefore, I will thank my colleagues, 359 of them in the House of Reps, that have showcased me and have given me the support that is considered by well meaning Nigerians to contest of vie for the most coveted position in this nation,”

“Having said that, and having heard what you have said, I have accepted to collect this nomination form and go and conclude my consultations and come back to Nigerians soonest on what should be my final position on this matter,” Tambuwal noted.

Source-Sunnewsonline.com