Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has disclosed the role he played in Aminu Tambuwal’s emergence as speaker of the house of representatives in 2011.
Obasanjo spoke in Abuja on Saturday at a colloquium organised to mark the 60th birthday of Tambuwal, former governor of Sokoto State.
Tambuwal was elected speaker in June 2011 despite being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at a time the party’s zoning arrangement allocated the position to the south-west.
Under the zoning formula, the presidency was in the south-south, the vice-presidency in the north-west, the senate presidency in the north-central, and the deputy senate presidency in the south-east.
Tambuwal, who hails from the north-west, emerged speaker after aligning with Emeka Ihedioha from the south-east, who became deputy speaker.
The development was enabled by support from the Action Congress of Nigeria, led by Bola Tinubu, which had a substantial number of lawmakers in the green chamber.
Following the development, leaders from the south-west later complained of marginalisation under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
Tambuwal subsequently defected from the PDP to the newly formed All Progressives Congress.
Reflecting on the process, Obasanjo said the PDP leadership had preferred Mulikat Akande-Adeola, lawmaker representing Ogbomosho north/Ogbomosho south/Oriire federal constituency of Oyo State.
He said the party’s position was influenced by a desire to promote gender inclusion at the highest level of legislative leadership.
Obasanjo said lawmakers rejected the party’s preference and relied on what he described as their “constitutional independence” to elect Tambuwal.
“Our thinking was that if, for the first time, a woman had become speaker of the house, she should be encouraged to remain there,” Obasanjo said.
“But your members thought otherwise, and you made your decision. And we supported your decision. Initially, even you were not sure of where we would stand, but we stood with you.
“One thing I saw in you was humility. Greatness that does not include humility is greatness that is hollow. Your greatness is not hollow.”
Also speaking at the event, Goodluck Jonathan, former president, said lawmakers trusted Tambuwal’s leadership during his tenure as speaker.
“When he was speaker, I was the president, and we had some disagreements,” Jonathan said.
“But one thing I must give to Tambuwal is that members of the house believed so much in him.”
The event was attended by Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president; Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State; Mulikat Akande-Adeola; David Mark, former senate president; Abba Moro, senate minority leader; Matthew Kukah, Catholic bishop of the Sokoto diocese; Patricia Etteh and Yakubu Dogara, former speakers of the house of representatives; Eyinnaya Abaribe, senator; and Ahmed Dangiwa, minister of housing.
Former State governors present included Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Aminu Masari of Katsina, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, Ibikunle Amosun and Gbenga Daniel of Ogun, Emeka Ihedioha of Imo, and Rauf Aregbesola of Osun.