Two days after formally communicating his defection to the All Progressives Congress, the security details of the Speaker of the House of Reps, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, have been withdrawn on the orders of President Goodluck Jonathan, sources say. Yesterday evening, the Presidency convened a high level meeting ostensibly to discuss Tambuwal’s defection. In attendance At the meeting were members of the National Working Committee of the PDP, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Muhammed Bello Adokie, some PDP Governors as well as members of the House of Representatives from the party. Indications that all was not well emerged Wednesday evening after the conclusion of the APC’s extra ordinary national convention in Abuja. The tumultuous welcome accorded the Speaker at the Convention and the overwhelming outpouring of goodwill from the general public is said to have rattled the Presidency resulting in frenzied reaction. As the number four citizen in the hierarchy of protocol in the country, the Speaker is entitled to a high level security made up of men from the Police, Civil Defence Corps and the Department of State Security (SSS). They jointly provide security to the Speaker and his immediate family around the clock. A source in the know of the situation said: “Early this morning, few minutes after midnight to be precise, top level security report informed the Speaker that orders have been given for the withdrawal of his security details. He was told that a verdict will be entered against him by a court in Abuja on Wednesday or Thursday. The ironic thing here is that why not wait for the verdict before any action is taken? ” the source asked. Efforts by LEADERSHIP to get the reaction of the Speaker has so far proved futile. Calls and SMS sent to his spokesperson, Malam Imam Imam, have so far remained unanswered.

It is an honour and privilege to join you all today at this Special Convention of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). I am really glad to be part of the APC family. Indeed, I have been overwhelmed by the massive outpouring of goodwill and welcome that I have received from the members of our great party and other well meaning Nigerians since the formal notification of my membership of APC. From the depth of my heart, I say, thank you.

And in appreciation of your warm hand of fellowship, I hereby rededicate myself to the task of building and growing our Party, and helping our party achieve its mission of lifting Nigeria to glorious heights and restoring hope to the citizens of our great country. In this regard, I hereby call on all other like minded Nigerians to join this movement to deliver on the promise of a new Nigeria.

The APC is the party where the progressive ideals of good governance to which I subscribe are wholeheartedly embraced and applied for the betterment of Nigeria. 

I have embraced the APC platform as a veritable instrument for genuine change and enduring national development. We must constantly remind ourselves that Nigerians yearn for true change and APC represents the hope for this change, and a promise of a brighter tomorrow. 

The Programmes of the APC are very attractive and will bring about radical changes in the way we do business in Nigeria. The kind of change Nigeria truly needs.

The work may appear tedious and the road ahead may appear long and hard, but our party is amply endowed with all the key ingredients of success. We need unity and solidarity in our ranks in order to face the challenges ahead.

In the weeks ahead, we will engage party men and women and Nigerians on the future direction of our nation and means of rescuing her from the malaise of youth unemployment, insecurity, institutionalized corruption, poverty, socio-economic decline and infrastructural decay.

May Almighty God guide our deliberations at this Special Convention, guide our path, bless our great Party, the All Progressives Congress. And may He bless and protect the Federal Republic of Nigeria.