Ahead of Senate’s resumption of plenary tomorrow, cracks have appeared in the “New Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)” as about seven out of the 22 senators have withdrawn their membership of the group. Following the emergence of the splinter group chaired by Alhaji Kawu Baraje as a result of their anger over the national convention of the PDP in Abuja on August 31, no fewer than 22 senators were announced as identifying with the break-away group.
Contrary to earlier reports that the leadership of the Senate was jittery over the impending take-over of the chamber by the “New PDP,” symphatisers in collaboration with the opposition parties and as a result, is considering postponing resumption, Senate would resume legislative duties tomorrow, after being on recess for seven weeks.
Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), told Daily Sun yesterday that the Upper Legislative Chamber will resume as scheduled tomorrow, September 17. A meeting to that effect by the body of principal officers, is expected to hold at the official residence of Senate President David Mark at the Apo Legislative Quarters.
He dismissed reports of a division in the Senate caucus of the PDP, adding that the leadership is not jittery about any move from the “New PDP.”
His words: “Senate is not jittery at all. Tell me, what is there to be jittery about? Senate is alive to its historical responsibility of stabilising the polity. Each time, there’s a shake-up, it’s always been the responsibility of the Senate to stabilize it. Since there’s a little hiccup within the PDP, it’s still the responsibility of the Senate to stabilize it. We will do just that.”
Ndoma-Egba reiterated that the Senate PDP caucus remains one in the chamber. “There’s just one PDP. As at today, there is one registered PDP and so, you cannot decamp within the same party. “What’s happening is at best, a tendency within the party,” he said.
Two weeks ago, 22 Senators reportedly declared for the “New PDP” after seven PDP governors announced its formation.
The names of the Senators as published in national newspapers, were: Senate Chief Whip Bello Hayatu Gwarzo (Kano); Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno); Ahmad Zannah; Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa); Abdullahi Danladi Sankara; AbdulMumini Mohammed Hassan (Jigawa); Umaru Dahiru (Sokoto); Ahmed Mohammed Maccido; Muhammad Sha’aba Lafiagi (Kwara) Simeon Sule Ajibola (Kwara) and Abubakar Bukola Saraki (Kwara).
Others are Magnus Ngei Abe (Rivers); Wilson Asinobi Ake (Rivers); Danjuma Mohammed Goje (Gombe); Saidu Ahmed Alkali; Ahmed Hassan Barata; Umar Mohammed Jibrilla; Aisha Jummai Alhassan (Taraba); Ibrahim Abdulahi Gobir (Sokoto), Garba Mohammad (Kano); AbdulAziz Usman (Jigawa) and Isa Galaudu (Kebbi).
There, however, appears a break in the ranks as seven (four from the North-West, two from the North-Central and one from the North-East), out of the 22 senators claimed they were not part of the “New PDP” and that their names were surreptitiously sneaked onto the list. But the seven senators did not want their names printed.
Some alleged members even claimed that though they may have sympathy for the “New PDP,” they they were away from the country when the names were compiled. So, they were not consulted before going public with the list.
Some of the aggrieved senators, from the North-West, North-Central and the North-East pointed fingers at a former governor from the North-Central, who is in his first term, as “just railroading our names into a purported list we know nothing of.
“As you were well aware, because the Senate was on recess, some of our members were abroad and when the list was made public, they were embarrassed that their names were included in a list they practically knew nothing about.”
At least, a ranking senator, whose name is on the list, confirmed to Daily Sun that he “was yet to be consulted on the formation of the “New PDP,” not to talk of agreeing to put my name on the list that was made public as a member. I am not a member and I intend to make my grievance known through clear party channels.”
Another senator from the North-West who declined to be named, gave further insight into how some names were published without consultations with the bearers.
“I was abroad (country withheld) when my phone was bombarded with text messages from political associates at home, congratulating me on my membership of the “New PDP.” I made enquiries and discovered that a former governor from my state, together with his friend, who’s also a former governor, just put my name on the list. When I made further enquiries, I discovered that three former governors (names withheld), from 2003-2007 are behind the scenes and largely influenced the names’ compilation.”
Two of the former governors are in the Senate while the third was a senator who left the National Assembly to join the executive in the present dispensation.
“Can you imagine that after publishing the names, nobody has even got in touch with me to tell me what’s going on?…” the lawmaker said last night. Meanwhile, it was gathered that the meeting of the “New PDP” senators was to checkmate any move by the PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, to declare their seats vacant as the Senate resumes legislative business. Indications also emerged that there is a crack in the relationship between the Presidency and the leadership of the National Assembly.
Sources said, “unlike before, when the National Assembly leadership was consulted on issues of national and party importance, they have been left in the cold; hence, the silence from the National Assembly when some members declared their membership of the “New PDP.”
Source: Sun
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