Karma: Tambuwal caused heartache for Mulika in 2011 now he’s paid back

Ben GEORGE

In 2011, Rt. Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola was primed for Speakership of the House of Representatives. She was the choice of her party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the plum job. Everything was set for the emergence of second female Speaker in the country after Rt. Hon. Olubunmi Etteh, the party machinery including the presidency’s stood solidly behind the Ogbomoso-born politician representing Ogbomoso. North/Ogbomoso South/Oriire federal constituency.

Her townsmen were expectant, there was ectacy in the land that a daughter of the city was to gain national visibility.

But it would never be. A certain Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, a legislator from Sokoto state, and also a member of PDP, lurked in the corner, he coveted the position too. He became defiant, not ready to abide by the zoning of the Speakership position to southwest and his party’s subsequent directive to support Akande-Adeola. The spirit of bellicosity overtook him.

He pushed ahead to realize his inordinate ambition, he reached out to the opposition parties or rather the opposition parties reached out to him, and so, an alliance was forged. Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) led by the man who is president today, Senator Bola Tinubu, was the main opposition party, and so, with Tambuwal they thwarted the ambition of Akande-Adeola. Tambuwal emerged victorious and became Speaker. Adeola was given the consolatory position of Majority Leader.

Tambuwal spent his term and went ahead to serve as governor of his state. In 2023, he won senatorial election to represent Sokoto south in the senate. His party PDP is the majority of the minority parties. He sought earnestly to emerge as Minority Leader, he lobbied, he canvassed, but in the end he lost out, his rival, Senator Simon Mwadkwon representing Plateau north, was the preferred candidate. Tambuwal kissed the canvas.