What seemed like a joke to some observers when reports emerged that some forces wanted Aminu Tambuwal out, has now taken a more sinister dimension.By this evening highly placed source told Newsdiaryonline.com that the entire bribery scandal involving Farouk Lawal and Femi Otedola mahas taken a new twist . A new group is said t o have emerged today in the House of Representatives with the sole purpose of destabilizing the Aminu Tambuwal leadership.
Towards this goal, every weapon available to the forces against Tambuwal is being deployed to deal with him,including money being conveyed in the infamous Ghana Must Go. “We understand a plane load of Ghana Must Go will be distributed tonight to destabilize the House when it reconvenes tomorrow. The plane that brought the cash, belonging to ( a prominent oil marketer) is parked at the Presidential wing of Abuja airport”said a source conversant with the intrigues unfolding at a frenetic pace. Though the emergence of the new group was initially shrouded in secrecy, their plots have been exposed and their moves are being watched, a source said.It is now very clear to everyone that this is not just about the bribery scandal.Yes, said an insider ,the scandal is evidently being used as the launchpad for the bigger plot to unseat Tambuwal.
Highly placed sources said President Goodluck Jonathan and ex President Olusegun Obasanjo are working together to remove Tambuwal.Obasanjo has not forgiven the House for ousting ex Speaker Patricia Etteh .He is also bitter about the fact that his choice, Honourable Mulikat Akande -Adeola’s bid for the speakership was aborted by Farouk Lawan and his associates. Mulikat is said to be close to Obasanjo.More importantly Jonathan has been very uncomfortable with Tambuwal’s leadership which has been too impossible to control by the presidency. “What we are facing is that aside from the scandal that broke at the beginning of the week, we now have a plot to destabilize the House” an insider revealed.
But Newsdiaryonline.com has learnt that Tambuwal and his loyalists too have not been resting on their oars.Just as Jonathan and others are plotting, Tambuwal and his men are also taking steps to guard their flanks. “They too are planning to pull off a sting of their own” it was learnt Sources said part of the strategy of the House leadership is to “cut Farouk loose and let him hang wherever he may as a strategy to counter the plot of those who’re planning to destabilize the House. The House leadership will be meeting tonight to take definite decisions on what tomorrow’s session should achieve.”
As these plots and counter plots unfold, there are growing worries about the future of Nigeria’s democracy as the system is said to be increasingly unsettled by these devious plots. “It’s extremely disturbing and sad that those behind these plots are at the top echelon of this regime. They feel so invincible and safe that they think they can pull all of this off. Whether they understand it or not, they are inadvertently pulling the whole system down .We are not praying for it, but if eventually the system should crash, they’ll be the biggest casualties of all.This is what happens to a country when you have so much illicit money in the hands of a gang.”
As these intrigues unfold, the hapless citizens can only watch and pray that nothing is done to threaten Nigeria’s democracy.