There is a certain degree of ill will spreading
within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
as some governors of the party are reportedly
unhappy with the leadership over its decision to
give senators automatic re-election tickets.
Apparently, the PDP senators had threatened to
join the opposition senators in impeaching
President Goodluck Jonathan, unless they were
given automatic tickets, a provision which they
were reportedly assured of after a meeting
between the party’s national chairman, Adamu
Mu’azu and Senate President, David Mark, last
Thursday.
The governors are now unhappy with Mu’azu and
Mark, whom they blame for the collapse of the
deal President Goodluck Jonathan had with them
prior to being adopted as the sole presidential
candidate of the party.
Before the impeachment issue, there was a deal
between President Jonathan and the governors on
whom were to be allowed to present their
preferred candidates as successors, and those
serving their final terms – who had signified
intention to run for senate.
But as things have seemingly changed, the
governors have now concluded to take the issue
directly to the President. They have been
scheduled to meet with him on Tuesday night to
express their displeasure and “extract some
commitment from him” before his ratification
during the December 10 national convention of
the PDP.
The governors now seek to get assurances that
Jonathan would support their governorship
candidates, and provided he wins in 2015, he will
not go after them with anti-corruption agencies
after leaving office in 2015.
A governor from one the northern states, while
speaking to a team of journalists in Abuja on
Saturday, stated that: “The PDP we used to know
is not the one we are seeing now, the party is
rotten and this is very shameful and unfortunate;
some of us feel like crying for the party we once
cherised as the biggest party in Africa.”
“It is most ridiculous for the President to reach an
agreement with us and renege. But I can assure
you that we have decided to unravel the issue
because we suspect foul play in all that is going
on within the party; imagine forcing sitting
governors to withdraw from the race simply
because someone somewhere is threatened by
the presence of former governors who are
desirous of being senators.”
“Right now, one of us, a South-East governor is
already on his way to the opposition party. This
is the height of unseriousness on the part of any
political party that intends to win next year; this
matter has to be tabled may be on Tuesday
before the President.”
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