Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal were conspicuously missing at the Democracy Day event at the International Conference Center where President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan had presented scorecard of his transformation agenda.
While former President Obasanjo whom it was learnt was invited in his capacity as a former president did not give reasons for his absence, Speaker Tambuwal who is sympathetic to embattled Governor Rotimi Amechi of River State, rather asked his Deputy, Emeka Ihedioha to represent him at the event because of a more pressing issue to handle in Sokoto State.
The Speaker has been championing legislations aimed and seen as a direct attack on President Jonathan, the latest of which was the legislation aimed at whittling down the power of the President under emergency rule.
The resolution was passed following a motion moved by Rep. Ibrahim El-Sudi (PDP, Taraba), which was unanimously adopted.
With the adoption, the House revoked completely, Section 3(2) (e) of the Harmonised and adopted Emergency Powers Regulations approved by the National Assembly.
It urged the Senate to give it force of law by concurring and adopting the amendment.
Tambuwal has not hidden his displeasure with the Presidency. In fact, he has backed Governor Amaechi criticism of President Jonathan.
Amaechi is seen as a potential Vice-Presidential material if he (Tambuwal) decides to run for the Presidency in 2015.
Sources hinted that Speaker Tambuwal threw his weight against president Jonathan in the wake of the controversy surrounding the grounding of the Rivers State aircraft in Akure, Ondo State of which he was a passenger.
He had allegedly used his position to cause the House to through a joint Committee of Aviation and Judiciary, initiate an investigation of the Aviation Ministry and the grounding of the Rivers Aircraft, which he is a passenger. A source in the House said he considered such a humiliation of his person and office.
Tambuwal does not fly the Presidential jet even though he has never been denied one, a source at the Presidency told Pointblanknews.com