House Reps Speaker, Tambuwal attends apc meeting In Sokoto

Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Waziri Tambuwal on Monday attended the All Progressive Congress (APC) stakeholders meeting in Sokoto, a move seen as a precursor to his formal defection to the party from the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Associates of the speaker said his presence at the meeting, Monday, may herald his official defection from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

At the meeting, the APC zoned its governorship ticket to the Sokoto-South senatorial zone where Tambuwal hails from. This move is seen as paving the way for the speaker to contest for the state’s governorship seat or the presidential election under the party.

The party in Sokoto said majority of its members voted in support of zoning the ticket to the zone in view of the fact that both the Sokoto-East and Central have ruled the state for eight consecutive terms each.

One source at Monday’s meeting said Mr. Tambuwal told the gathering to accept him as “one of you starting from today”.

In recent months, Tambuwal has been holding consultations with various stakeholders, elder statesmen and former Nigerian leaders over his rumoured presidential ambition.

While he has remained officially a PDP speaker, Mr. Tambuwal is believed to have long fallen out with the party. He has been absent from key party functions for a while.