PRESIDENT JONATHAN SUCCUMBS TO PDP SENATORS’ DEMAND
Latest reports inform that President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Working Committee, NWC, may have yesterday reached agreement with the aggrieved senators of 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 Jonathan for allowing state governors to control the party structures in their various states.
The PDP -led Senate had abruptly adjourned plenary for 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 meeting with 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.
