News By The Guardians
AS the build up to the 2015 elections gathers momentum, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members of the House of Representatives yesterday demanded automatic tickets as a bargaining chip for their loyalty to the party.
The House Majority Leader, Mulikat Akande-Adeola made the demand on Tuesday night when the PDP Chairman, Dr Adamu Mu’azu accompanied by members of the PDP Governors Forum and the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party met with the lawmakers at the National Assembly yesterday. At the occasion attended by the Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and other principal officers of the House, she said:
“Members of this honourable caucus would want to be reassured on the party’s promise of automatic tickets in the forthcoming elections, their welfare and opportunity to nominate membership of various committees from their respective constituencies whenever the need arises.” Acknowledging that the PDP had gone through trying periods in recent time, she described the parley which is the first time in the history of the National Assembly as a welcome development. Urging the Executive to keep their promises to members of the National Assembly, she remarked that the parley would serve as a beginning of the process for continuous dialogue on issues affecting the party and the members.
Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Godswil Akpabio who incidentally was accompanied by his colleagues from Ondo and Anambra States, Olusegun Mimiko and Peter Obi expressed readinessto ensure a harmonious relationship between the PDP leadership, the Governors forum and members of the party in the National Assembly.
Noting that the crises that dogged the PDP would have been averted if there was such a cordial relationship, he assured that whatever pact reached at the parley will be adhered to by all the parties concerned.
According to Akpabio who described the presence of Mimiko and Obi, who left the venue of the parley barely five minutes after showing up to the admiration of the PDP lawmakers, as an unspoken and uncommon appearance, noted that “whatever we seal here will remain Abuja Accord. We Governors will go as Field Commanders to seal the pact.” Mu’azu who took turn to exchange banters with the lawmakers described the parley as the dawn of a new era, adding that it was unfortunate there had been a disconnect between the party leadership and the PDP caucus in the National Assembly.
Reminiscing how the PDP was formed, he enjoined the lawmakers to remain loyal to the PDP which handed them the tickets that enabled them prosecute their electoral success.
“We must appreciate that the PDP is the largest party in Africa, we took time to build it. I will appreciate your loyalty to the party. This House is a big house, it gave you the platform to be here and you owe it a duty to the party to remain loyal. We know that loyalty pays. I can read from your body language what you need.
In attendance at the parley which commenced at about 9pm were
The PDP Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, PDP Women Leader, Kema Chikwe, Delta State Governor Emmanuel Oduaghan, Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State, Theodore Orji of Abia State, Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, Liyel Imoke of Cross River State, and the Deputy Governors of Kogi and Jigawa states
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