Keeping the PDP united, carrying members of the National Assembly along in decisions to be made, sticking with the constitution without fear or favour, stopping the arbitrary suspension of members and automatic tickets for National Assembly members in 2015 to promote cohesion in the PDP, were the demands, calitown.com sources in Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital, say formed the agenda of the meeting between PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur and the party’s senators in the National Assembly
But while Tukur was in agreement with the members on four issues on the agenda paper, he however told the senators point blank, on the fifth issue of automatic tickets that because the party wants to ensure free and fair primaries and in so doing present the best candidates for the 2015 polls, non of the PDP Senators will get an automatic ticket to return in 2015. This disclosure puts to rest attempts by several of the party’s senators to ‘force’ the party into backing their return to the National Assembly and throws the doors open for other party men to challenge for the party’s tickets in the months to come.
Our source further informed that specifically, Tukur said that, “if in the course of conducting primaries someone has to dictate who gets what; that is no democracy”, a pointer to the fact it may not be business as usual again.
Senate Leader and Senator representing CR Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Victor Ndoma-Egba, who shortly after the meeting spoke to reporters, said that Tukur’s position at the meeting reassured senators present that the party’s “domestic issues” will be effectively tackled. He however declined comments on the “no automatic tickets” issue.
The four hour meeting may have been convened by Tukur to stem the thriving pockets of protests by senators unhappy with Tukur’s leadership style and perhaps to commence preparations for the 2015 polls.
That is democracy should be, if only Tukur can carry through his word.