The leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West and a member of the party’s board of trustees, Bode George has asked the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, to employ civility and vacate the seat when the House returns from recession.
Mr George’s statement came hours after the Speaker of the House defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress confirming rumours of his defection that has been making the rounds for months.
“I saw it coming and it is a very sad day in the political atmosphere of Nigeria.
“I remember when he first came as a member of the House of Representatives; he was a very calm and a very civilised lawyer, but what he did not come as a surprise.
“But how do you benefit from a party that brought you to limelight and just at the turnaround of your session you just jump ship.
“To me it is a betrayal. I had a lot of respect for the young man, thinking that he would be among those that will take over from oldies like us.
“But when you are like a rolling stone, jumping from one party to another, you don’t trust such people,”
He insisted that “those who insist on survival at any cost will do anything to betray anybody at any point in time.”
Mr George, however, said that if the Speaker had the intention of contesting for a political position, he should “wind down and leave”.
“Now that he has crossed to a minority party in the House, the PDP members in the House will meet and there will be an election of a new Speaker. It is an opportunity for the party to rearrange itself and get the zones settled.
“He has to resign and it is ethical. He is too civilised to want to remain as the Speaker. I believe he will allow civility, respectability and sensibility to come into play,” the PDP leader said, insisting that the PDP has no problem at the moment and that nullifies every claim that the Speaker’s defection was constitutional.
“The onus is on the deputy speaker to declare his seat vacant,” he added.
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