Following news of the alleged defection of the House of Representative Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the major opposition party, the All Progressive Congress, APC, words have filtered out that he is joining the 2015 gubernatorial race. A source revealed to our press line that the speaker, who was expected to join the Presidential race as an APC candidate reportedly hold back to settle for the governorship race in Sokoto because majority of the stakeholders of the party like Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, and a National Leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, have given their support to the former military Head of State Major-General Muhammadu Buhari as APC presidential candidate.

However, Tambuwal’s media aide Imam Imam admitted that the speaker attended a stakeholders’ meeting of the APC in Sokoto on Monday at the instance of the state governor, Aliyu Wamakko.

The aide further disclosed that the meeting had in attendance prominent Sokoto indigenes that have no political intentions or affiliations.

Meanwhile, sources close to the speaker’s aide have disclosed that Tambuwal is expected to defect this week or early next week unfailingly due to the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and that of APC, which places a deadline for the purchase and submission of nomination forms.

However, Tambuwal, who has stopped attending crucial stakeholders’ meetings of the PDP, has declined to hide his romance with the APC, especially as he was expected to join the opposition early this year immediately after the defection of about 37 lawmakers from PDP to APC, but allegedly halted the move after the opposition party reportedly lost the slim majority it briefly held in the House.

It was also gathered that his defection at that time would have made PDP push for his impeachment as speaker of the House although a lawmaker has insisted that such move would have been futile as PDP does not have the two-thirds majority needed to effect a leadership change in the house.

A source at the meeting said the speculation on Tambuwal’s defection on Monday was propelled by a statement made by Governor Wamakko during the stakeholders’ meeting in Sokoto. It was said that he told APC members that Tambuwal has been in support of the party’s activities since it was formed.

“I want to inform all stakeholders of the APC gathered here that Tambuwal has been with us since formation of our great party. We told him to remain in PDP until the day of nomination of the party’s governorship candidate. And today is the day,” Wamakko said.

The governor while advising supporters of APC to put the interest of the party above their personal interest urged them not to be like the PDP, who are currently at Giginya Hotel quarrelling over positions.

Wamakko thanked party members for their loyalty and support in the last seven years.

Tambuwal, however, declined to reveal the outcome of the meeting to journalists.

Meanwhile, sources at the meeting revealed that the party members could not reach an agreement on the party’s governorship candidate for the 2015 elections.

The state secretary of the APC, Aminu Bello, revealed that the party agreed to immediately set up a committee that would pick the party’s flag bearer ahead 2015 polls.

He also hinted that the stakeholders agreed to zone the governorship slot to Sokoto South Senatorial zone where Tambuwal hails from.

Responding to Tambuwal’s defection, Olisa Metuh, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, said there is no comment until it is confirmed that Tambuwal had left for APC.

“Let’s wait until it is confirmed. The party does not want to make a statement or react to unconfirmed reports. We have party liaisons. We will wait until it is confirmed,” Metuh said.

It would be recalled that Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has been reportedly meeting secretly with top politicians from the North in an attempt to accomplish its ambition.

However, the move is not surprising as there have been strong indications that Tambuwal may dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the opposition party, the All Progressive Congress (APC).