Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal was in Abeokuta, Ogun State yesterday to hold a closed-door meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, fueling speculation that he had started consultations on his rumoured quest to contest for the 2015 presidential election. This is Tambuwal’s second visit to the former president within a space of five months. Tambuwal, who met the former leader at his Hilltop GRA residence yesterday held a 20-minute closed-door meeting, however, refused to open up on what was discussed between both men. Although he declined to speak on why he paid a second visit, sources in the House said Tambuwal had begun to consult on the next line of action in his political trajectory. According to sources, Tambuwal may have made up his mind to contest for the presidency but is consulting those who matter in the country before taking the big leap. Besides, Tambuwal is also said to have begun consultations on the choice of political party to realise his ambition with a view to consolidating his chances in 2015. Sources also said after Obasanjo, the Speaker plans to meet with other former heads of state and stakeholders, both on the legislative mandate and his plan for the future. Should he elect to throw his hat into the ring, Tambuwal would be expected to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a party he has openly flirted with and its leaders from inception. His departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on whose platform he was elected into the federal legislature, would however present a dilemma for the House of Representatives, as he would be required to step down as speaker since the PDP still has more members in the lower chamber. Giving reasons for Tambuwal’s visit to Obasanjo, his media aide, Alhaji Imam Imam, said the meeting was a routine one, saying the speaker visited “Baba” occasionally as the father of all. According to him, “You know Baba is a father to all in the country. The meeting was a consultation. It is about rubbing of minds on how to move the country forward and make Nigeria better.” Asked whether it had any connection to the rumoured presidential ambition of the speaker, Imam said the meeting was a closed-door one, therefore he could not comment on what transpired. He nevertheless said a decision on the speaker’s political future would be reached soon.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 07:35:20 +0000
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