2015: Tambuwal blasts agents of autocracy as House resumes -

AS the politics of 2015 continues to gather steam across the country, Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday, blasted those he described as agents of autocracy and accused them of putting democracy at risk. He discouraged his colleagues from belonging to such a group.
Tambuwal said this in his opening speech during yesterday’s commencement of the seventh session of the House of Representatives.
In a bid to indicate the direction the House would follow in the days to come, Tambuwal had used the opportunity to inform Nigerians about the thinking of the leadership of the Green Chamber on the need to separate politics from governance.
Said he: “…While we are clamouring for the deepening of democracy, including internal party democracy, there has arisen a new group championing the obnoxious cause of the deepening of internal party autocracy and demagoguery.

Reps Resume: Speaker House of Representatives, Mallam Aminu Tambuwal (2nd right); Deputy Speaker, Mr Emeka Ihedioha left resuming 2013 plenary session at National Assembly, Abuja. 

“This is inexcusable and, indeed, reprehensible at this time in our history. Dissent is a healthy element in any democratic setting and those who equate loyalty to sycophantic followership not only miss the point but put democracy at risk. Preparatory to 2015, many have started introducing political doctrines that are alien to democracy and destructive to peaceful social coexistence in a civilized society; they are busy fanning the embers of partisan hate and strife.
“According to this new doctrine it is a political offence for a member of one political party to exchange greetings with someone in another political party.  It is indeed a heinous crime for one to visit, attend the burial, birthday, coronation, wedding or any such ceremony of someone in an opposing political party. The proponents of this shameful doctrine not only offend our sensibilities, they constitute an affront on the whole essence of democracy and civilized coexistence and must be halted before they do incalculable damage to our polity. My dear colleagues we refuse to be students of this school of thought.”
He further reminded his colleagues that “beyond the challenges routine to our functions as legislators, an even bigger challenge is fast approaching. I am referring to 2015 and the gathering clouds of politicking: first we must resist the temptation to jump the gun.”
Tambuwal advised Nigerian politicians to wait for the whistle of the electoral umpire before commencing the politics of 2015, stressing that “we must resist being distracted from the execution of our mandate which is only half done and finally but perhaps more importantly we must make a difference by rising against every attempt to cause disaffection among Nigerians.”