The ripples generated by last Saturday’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ward congresses appear not to be abating as strong indications have emerged that the leadership of the ruling PDP is under intense pressure to cancel the exercise across the nation.
Curiously, Bayelsa, the home state of President Goodluck Jonathan, appears worst hit by the challenges thrown up by the PDP delegates’ congresses.
Unless urgent steps are taken, the president’s state may witness another round of political crisis as Governor Seriake Dickson’s resolve to stop all National Assembly members as well as state lawmakers from seeking re-election in 2015 is already creating tension in the state.
Stakeholders of the PDP, allegedly supported by Governor Dickson, had four weeks ago purportedly adopted a zoning formula across the state for elective offices in 2015. Curiously, the zoning of the offices saw to the shutting out of all current National Assembly members from the state.
The federal lawmakers are Senators Emmanuel Paulker (Bayelsa Central), Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa West) and Clever Ikisikpo (Bayelsa East). Those in the House of Representatives are Foingha Jephthah (Nembe/Brass), Henry Ofongo (Southern Ijaw), Warman Ogoriba (Yenegoa/Kolokuma-Opokuma), Dr Stella Dorgu (Sagbama/Ekeremor) and Nadu Karibo (Ogbia).
Apart from Dorgu, all the affected lawmakers had conducted parallel congresses to protest the handling of the PDP ward congresses by the governor. Their supporters have equally vowed to make the state ungovernable if the national leadership of the PDP and President Jonathan did not intervene quickly enough.
This development is coming on the heels of moves by Governor Dickson to stop all, except two, of the state House of Assembly members from making a return to the assembly in 2015 on the party’s platform. The favoured two are the majority leader, Hon Peter Akpe(Sagbama 2) and Hon Daniel Igali (Southern Ijaw 3).
By implication, the speaker, Hon Benson Konbowei, an ally of the governor who was the arrow head of the controversial zoning against the return of Senator Paulker, has also been edged out in the unfolding political drama.
However, both the state government and the leadership of the PDP in the state have debunked the report, describing the crisis as non-existent.
But a PDP chieftain, who craved anonymity, LEADERSHIP Friday learnt, who had led a delegation of PDP stakeholders to meet with the president over the brewing crisis in Bayelsa, told our correspondent that the ruling party was not just being threatened but the peace of the entire state was at risk.
The source, a former member of the National Assembly, said, “The brewing crisis within the PDP in Bayelsa State is not just a party affair; if care is not taken, it could lead to other political upheavals with the capacity of threatening the peace of the state.
“I can tell you that the reason some of us came to see the president today is to brief him adequately on the matter because the impression being created by the governor – that all is well – is erroneous; it can lead to something else.
“For those of us who have had the opportunity to serve in the National Assembly before, we know the importance of ranking; it is unfortunate that the governor has decided to ignite this needless crisis just because he is afraid of the popularity of some persons. The fresh people the governor is grooming for the National Assembly will at best need about two or three years before they can fit into the scheme of things and this is dangerous for the president himself. We cannot afford to waste experience,’’ he said.
One of the senators whose seat is seen as a target in the controversial zoning, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, confirmed the fact of a brewing tension but appealed to all concerned to eschew violence.
“Yes, it is true that most stakeholders are very unhappy with the purported zoning being orchestrated by the governor. It is normal for people to be aggrieved, especially when an apparent case of injustice has been meted out by those who have no reason to play God in people’s lives.
“However, my appeal to all our supporters is to avoid what could precipitate crisis and violence both in the PDP and the state in general because we believe that Mr. President will not allow this to go unchecked; we are sure he will intervene and timeously too,” Lokpobiri said.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that state lawmakers, led by the speaker, Hon. Kombowei Benson, have pulled out of an earlier agreement with the Governor Seriake Dickson-led Restoration Caucus to demand that they be given automatic return tickets in 2015.
The anger of the State Assembly members stem from the move by the governor to install some of his aides and those termed Restoration Boys as state lawmakers in 2015.
At the last count, many of the governor’s aides, including the former commissioner for education Salo Adiekumo, and that of local government, Hon. Meitama Obodo, have led a crowd of aides to pick nomination forms.
After series of meetings attended by trusted state assembly members, the camp of the speaker has started to doubt the sincerity of the governor over his aides’ scramble to collect nomination forms.
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa state commissioner for information, Deacon Markson Fafegha, has denied any knowledge of such moves by the governor to foist his cronies on the party.
“To the best of my knowledge, the governor has provided a level playing field to every contestant in the party,” he said.
On his part, the state publicity secretary of the PDP, Barrister Osom Macbere, said all issues regarding the just concluded congresses should be referred to the party’s Appeal Panel for deliberation.
“I don’t think there are issues – as you might want to know; but if at all there are, that is the reason for the Appeal Panel; it is the panel that will address all issues and complaints arising from the ward congresses,” the party’s spokesman said.
But the Bayelsa scenario is not a case in isolation as it has been gathered that some governors and National Assembly members, who rejected the outcome of the ward congresses, have intensified efforts to cancel them.
Some aggrieved aspirants of the party, mainly from the South East and South South geo-political zones, have been visiting the party national secretariat in Abuja, urging the party to nullify the results in their states.
While Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke, Hon. Owan Enoh and Bassey Ewa and the state party chairman, John Okon, were sighted at the party secretariat in Abuja during the week. Two petitions came from Cross River State.
Other aggrieved politicians, who also lost out in Enugu State, are also calling for the cancellation of the results and the conduct a fresh congresses. A court order has been served on the party against cancellation of the Enugu State ward congress.
However, it was gathered that some NWC members at a meeting last Wednesday opposed the alleged moves to cancel the congresses.
The party’s national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, has ruled out the cancellations of any ward congress in any state, stressing that appeal panels have been set up to address grievances over the ward congresses.
“No state congress has been cancelled by the NWC. The NWC has no right to cancel the ward congresses outright when it has not received report from the appeal panel,” Metuh explained.
75% of PDP senators should return – Akpabio
Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, yesterday advocated for the return of more than 75 percent of PDP senators, saying it will help the legislature in the country and deepen democracy.
Governor Akpabio further dismissed the insinuation that PDP governors posed a threat to senators over their return to the upper chamber.
Akpabio is seeking to unseat Sen. Aloysius Etok, representing the Akwa Ibom North-west Senatorial District.
Akpabio, who spoke with newsmen after submitting his senatorial nomination forms, said only nine serving governors were seeking the senatorial seat in 2015, against 109 Senate seats available in the upper legislative arm.
“The Senate has about 109 members and the serving governors of PDP who are interested in going to the Senate are not up to nine, so you still have at least 100 chances for incumbent senators. And if it is possible for us to return more than 75 percent of our senators in the National Assembly, it would help a lot in legislation and deepen democracy.
INEC recognises Mu’azu as PDP acting chair
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has recognised Adamu Mu’azu as the acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The electoral commission, in a letter signed by its secretary, Musa Adamu, said that Muazu’s appointment as acting national chairman of PDP complied with the party’s constitution.
The letter was in response to an inquiry over the status of Mu’azu as chairman of the party.
Two aggrieved PDP members, Emmanuel Onu and Ezionye Louis Ndubuisi, had in separate law suits filed on October 13, 2014 and September 2014, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, sought the removal of Mu’azu as PDP chairman.
In their suits, which had INEC and PDP as interested parties, the plaintiffs faulted the process that produced Mu’azu as chairman of the party, saying it was not known to the party’s constitution.
Suit Against Mu’azu’s Chairmanship Withdrawn
Respite came the way of Adamu yesterday as two law suits seeking his resignation from office were withdrawn.
This was disclosed yesterday by the legal counsel to the two aggrieved members of the party, Elochukwu Nweke.
The aggrieved members, Mr Emmanuel Onu and Ezionye Louis Ndubuisi, had in separate suits on October 13, 2014 and September 2014, filed legal action at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the removal of Mu’azu as chairman of PDP.
Guber aspirants sue PDP over Exclusion
Two PDP governorship aspirants in Akwa Ibom State have sued the party and its national chairman over the threat to exclude them from the party’s primary for the next governorship election in the state.
They also asked the court to set aside the November 1, 2014, PDP Congresses held in the state following their exclusion from participating.
Also joined as defendants in the suit filed at the registry of the Federal High Court in Abuja is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
Jonathan, Mark, Senators, Reps Meet In Aso Rock
President Goodluck Jonathan last night met behind with the Peoples Democratic Party senators in what was described as strict private meeting.
Some PDP members of the House of Representatives and some state governors elected on the party’s platform also said attended the meeting held inside the First Lady’s Conference Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja
The senators were said to have been led to the meeting by the President of the Senate, David Mark.
The meeting which was still ongoing at the time of filing this report was not opened to journalists. Some members of the party’s National Working Committee led by the National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, also attended.
Although details of the meeting was still unknown at press time, LEADERSHIP FRIDAY gathered the meeting was not unconnected with alleged plans by opposition Senators to impeach the president and reported moves by the lawmakers makers to frustrate the 2015 budget.
The president also met closed-door with some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in two other separate meetings on issues bordering on the 2015 general elections.
Balewa’s Son Withdraws From Presidential Race, Pledges Support for Jonathan
A PDP presidential aspirant and the son of a former Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Jhalil, has said that he has withdrawn his intention to run for the presidential primary election under the platform of the party and also pledged his support and loyalty for the candidacy of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Jhalil Tafawa Balewa stated this in Abuja yesterday during a press conference organized by the Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark. Balewa’s withdrawal was as a result of the intervention Chief Clark.
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