Enoh: I Have Advised Tambuwal Not to Leave PDP for APC

Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker of the House of Representatives

Bassey Inyang in Calabar

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Mr. John Owan Enoh, has disclosed that he had been advising the Speaker of the House, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, not to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Enoh, who is a senatorial aspirant in Cross River State, said he has been a friend to Tambuwal since they were both elected to represent their respective federal constituencies.

He stated this in Calabar while briefing journalists on issues concerning his aspiration, issues related to the politics in the state and the nation.

Responding to a question as to his relationship with Tambuwal and the speculation that the Speaker intends to decamp from the PDP, Enoh said:  “The Speaker and I went to the House of Representatives in 2003. Yes, he is my friend, yes I have heard of most of the things you have  heard, as a friend I have also kept advising him  that I am in the PDP and he is in the PDP so, you have to stay in the PDP. I have advised him so a lot of the times. The Speaker is a proponent of ‘all politics is local’. He keeps saying like that. But, as a party man, I have advised him and I have continued to advise him to stay in the PDP.”

On his desire to go to the senate, Enoh who is currently the representative of Obubra/Etung federal constituency said: “If I did not go to the House of Representatives, people wouldn’t have known my potentials.  I know I can serve better in the senate and I am confirming to you that I am going to contest the central senatorial seat.”

Enoh said if he becomes a senator from 2015, the people of the district would enjoy more of his services.

On why he decided not to return to the House of Representative for a fourth term, the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee said: “I am close to my people. If I wanted to go for a fourth term in the House of

Representatives, without being immodest, I will still win.  But, democracy means creating space for others.  When I went to campaign in Obubra, I told them it was the last time I would go to the House. I have been there for three terms and since I gave them my commitment that is why you see about 16 of them from Obubra coming out to run.”

He said the Obubra /Etung federal constituency has not produced a senator since the advent of the fourth republic.
Enoh, who commented on the deplorable state of road in his constituency, said he influenced road projects to be constructed in the area valued at about N5 billion, but nothing positive has been done to repair the roads.

“Each time I meet with the Finance Minister and Director General of the Federation for Budget, I tell them that roads in my constituency are the worst in the country. They have promised that by mid October, the contracts for the roads will be awarded,” Enoh said.