Following the new status of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the majority party in the House of Representatives, its Minority Principal Officers are now set to take over as Majority Principal Officers when the House resumes sitting in January 2014.
Last week, 37 members elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) formally decamped to APC thus, pushing it ahead of the ruling PDP as the majority party in the Lower Chamber with 175 seats as against 171 seats by the PDP.
The lawmakers that decamped are from the five states whose Governors recently defected from the ruling PDP to APC.
The Governors are Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Muritala Nyako (Adamawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara). They were members of the ruling party’s splinter group christened ‘new PDP’ that merged with the APC recently.
Other parties represented in the House are: Labour Party (LP), Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and Accord Party (AP).
Consequently, House Leader, Mulikat Adeola Akande (PDP-Oyo) will vacate her seat for Femi Gbajabiamila (APC-Lagos), Minority Leader whose party has now emerged the majority in the Lower Chamber.
Other PDP Principal Officers that will lose their positions are Deputy Leader- Leo Ogor, chief Whip Ishaka Bawa, and Deputy Whip Ahmed Muktar Muhammed. Also to replace them are Deputy Minority Leader Sumaila Kawu, Minority Whip- Samson Osagie and Deputy Whip- Garba Datti.
It was gathered that the decision to effect the swap of Principal Offices was reached at a meeting between the APC and Speaker Aminu Tambuwal and his Deputy, Emeka Ihedioha.
The meeting, it was learnt expressed confidence in the leadership of Tambuwal but expressed reservation about his Ihedioha. However, the meeting resolved that the duo should retain their positions.
To takeover, APC is expected to formally draw the attention of the Speaker through the Clerk to the fact that it is now the majority party in the House and should therefore be allowed to nominate the Principal Officers as Majority party n line with the rule.
Prompt News Online gathered that Speaker Tambuwal is now under intense pressure from the leadership of the PDP and the Presidency to declare the seats of the 37 lawmakers vacant.
However, Tambuwal is said to be resisting the pressure, citing existing court injunction. While reading the letter of the decampee’ at plenary, the Speaker also informed the House that he was in possession of a court injunction, restraining him, the Senate President and the leadership of the PDP from declaring their seats vacant and that he would respect that.
Twenty-two Senators and some members of Representatives had gone to court and got an order restraining the leaderships of both Chambers and the party from declaring their seats vacant.
