The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State this afternoon reacted with outrage to the news of the withdrawal of the security details of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, in the wake of his defection to the party from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Rivers APC in a statement signed by the State Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, described the withdrawal of Tambuwal’s security details as “executive radicalism and abuse of the country’s Constitution.”

“We wish to call on Nigerians to condemn this affront on the fourth citizen of our nation and insult on our representatives. Let us reiterate that it is the constitutional right of Tambuwal to freely associate with any party of his choice, including, of course, APC,” Dr. Ikanya said in the statement issued in Port Harcourt.

He said that “it is only an unserious politician who will continue to stay in a sinking party like PDP that has brought our nation shame and pains and made us a laughing stock before the international community. We therefore ask for the immediate reversal of this obnoxious order and commend Tambuwal for the bold step he has taken to join the party for a new Nigeria.”

Continuing, Ikanya said: “As we sympathise with the present leadership of PDP for making the party the largest undemocratic party in Africa and leading it to its present sorrowful state and imminent demise, we wish to further state that those calling for the resignation of the Speaker are just exposing their level of ignorance of the functions of the House of Reps and our Constitution. Speaker Tambuwal was duly elected by the generality of the House members and can only be removed by impeachment by 240 members of the House. With only 180 PDP members in the House, from where are they are going to get the extra 60 members to aid them in the impeachment of Tambuwal? They should accept the reality that an APC Speaker is now in place, signaling the beginning of the take-over of the mantle of leadership by our great party on 29th May, 2015.”

Rivers APC drew the attention of the PDP leadership to Section 50 (1)(b) of the Constitution, which states: “There shall be a Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.” The party pointed out that the Speaker was elected as the representative of the “generality of Nigerians” and not necessarily because he belonged to a particular political party.

“As we await the mass decampment of the remaining 50 PDP members of the House we wish to urge President Jonathan to stop overheating the polity and start writing his handover note because he stands no chance of implementing any third term agenda next year as we will resist such an unholy attempt,” Rivers APC said. The party insisted that all hope is lost for both Jonathan and PDP, asking: “With Kano, Lagos and Rivers states in the kitty of APC and with the likely elimination of rigging during the 2015 general elections, what realistic chances does PDP have in the 2015 general elections?”

•Photo shows Speaker Tambuwal.

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