The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, has attended a meeting of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in his home state of Sokoto, sources at the meeting have told PREMIUM TIMES.

Associates of the speaker said his presence at the meeting, Monday, may herald his official defection from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Mr. Tambuwal’s defection has long been expected.

While he has remained officially a PDP speaker, Mr. Tambuwal is believed to have long fallen out with the party. He has been absent from key party functions for a while.

One source at Monday’s meeting said Mr. Tambuwal told the gathering to accept him as “one of you starting from today”.

The Sokoto meeting was for APC officials to choose a consensus candidates for the state’s gubernatorial and other elections.

Another source at the National Assembly also confirmed Mr. Tambuwal’s presence at the meeting.

Asked about his possible defection, the source said if he attended the meeting “what does that tell you, will they allow someone that is not their member attend their meeting?”

Details later…