Democratic Party, PDP, National Working Committee, NWC, may have
yesterday reached agreement with the aggrieved senatorsof the party on
their demand for automatic ticket in the 2015 elections.
According to Vanguard report, Presodent Jonathan could not allow the
issue mar his re-election in 2015 and quickly responded to the
grievances of the lawmakers in order to accommodate and carry the
entire party along.
It would be recalled that some PDP Senators had during the week
threatened to impeach President Jonathanfor allowing state governors
to control the party structures in their various states.The PDP -led
Senate had abruptly adjourned plenaryfor two days Wednesday, over
alleged hijack of electoral materials for the recently conducted ward
congresses by the governors thereby making their re-election bids and
even aspirations for other political positions difficult.
Now that the leadership of the PDP have agreed to succumb to the
Senators' wish, the implication is that some of the nine PDP serving
governors like Theodore Orji of Abia State and his counterparts in
Benue – Gabriel Suswam; Enugu- Sullivan Chime; Delta- Dr Emmanuel
Uduaghan; Ebonyi- Martin Elechi; Akwa Ibom- Godwill Akpabio; Katsina –
Ibrahim Shema; Kebbi Aliyu Dakinbari and Plateau- Jonah Jang may after
all miss the opportunity of going to the Senate.
A source however, informed that Senate President, David Mark led the
aggrieved PDP senators to the meetingwith Jonathan and the NWC of the
PDP led by the national Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu at
the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Thursday night.
Speaking with Vanguard newspaper, one of the senators who was part of
the meeting confirmed that both parties agreed that the senators would
be allowed automatic tickets to contest the 2015 general elections.
"After listening to our grievances, President Jonathan showed
understanding of our plight and assured that any of us that had shown
interest to return to the National assembly would have the ticket.
"This is a welcome development; a situation whereby about seventy five
percent of serving senators are given automatic tickets by the party
to return after elections will strengthen our democracy,"the senator
said.
Another source also hinted that the deliberation was fruitful as the
party's NWC was mandated to work out the modality which would ensure
that the senators were returned in the 2015 without causing more
crises within the party.
With the assurance given to the senators, the source hinted that the
senate would resume for legislative business on Tuesday.
Asked whether there was plan to cancel the ward congresses to
accommodate them in the promised automatic ticket, the senator said
there was nothing like cancellation but that the NWC would work out
the modalities.
Meanwhile, investigation revealed that President Jonathan and the
PDP's NWC had to concede to the demand of the senators to ensure that
the harmonious relationship between the president and the senate
continued, bearing in mind that the senate had always supported the
presidency during critical times.
It was further gathered that allowing new crop of senators to take
over the senate would not be in the interest of the presidency.
However, the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, has said
the decision of some of the serving governors of the PDP seeking
senatorial seat in 2015 should not be considered a threat.
It was recently reported that state governors elected under the
platform of the ruling party clashed with the PDP National Chairman
over their senatorial ambitions ahead of the 2015 general elections.
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