SAN FRANCISCO, November 05, (THEWILL) – A frightened Presidency and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) moved Wednesday to swiftly douse the growing tension in the National Assembly.
Senators for the second day running abridged sitting as it adjourned without considering any government business.
The lawmakers had on Tuesday embarked on protest sitting and vowed to continue so until the Presidency curb the autocratic powers of state governors.
During the protest sitting, the lawmakers vowed to keep government business at bay, while only opening sittings and adjourning without considering issues listed on the Order Paper.
However, sources in the Presidency and the leadership of the PDP revealed to THEWILL that the party was rattled with the news of protests in the Senate.
The leaders according to the source considered the development as a bad omen, especially as the Senate had remained the stabilising factor in the polity since 2011.
THEWILL learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan had immediately summoned a meeting with the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, where the Senate President, Senator David Mark, and some leaders of the Senate were also present.
Sources confirmed to THEWILL that the meeting resolved to immediately make concessions to the Senators, many of who had been schemed out by the Governors in the states.
The source told THEWILL that the meeting resolved to call a large meeting with the Senate caucus of the PDP, where the entire concession would be unveiled.
THEWILL however gathered that the President had mandated the National Chairman of the party to enter into talks with PDP Governors to ensure that at least two senators from their states returned to the senate in 2015.
When filing this report, the meeting involving the President, party leaders and the Senate PDP caucus, which commenced at 10pm on Wednesday, was still ongoing.
Sources however told THEWILL that the Senators have been asked to accept the return of two of their colleagues per state, while the governors who intend to contest election into the senate should also be allowed to get the ticket.
“The concession being offered senators right now is that two senators should return from each of the states and that the governors who intend to come to the senate should also be offered the ticket. The party is of the view that this will help douse the tension and serve as a win, win situation,” a source said, adding however that some of the states still remained knotty, as at Wednesday night, as some of the second-term governors were moving to unseat serving senators.
Another source said: “The PDP is anxious to resolve the problem with the senators. They are the real pillar of support to our president and with a speaker in the hands of the opposition, the situation with government business can only get tougher.”
The source added that the governors have been told that removing all the Senators as they planned would only allow the lawmakers defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC),which is already offering them free tickets and also ensure that the APC gain control of the two chambers of the National Assembly before the 2015 election.
“The party is of the view that allowing the rancour to escalate will only empower the APC and the conflagration that could result may consume the entire PDP and the governors even before the general elections,” said another source.
Meanwhile, Senators on Wednesday made good their threat to shun legislative business when they adjourned sitting till next week.
An unwilling Senate President David Mark was forced to adjourn the sitting by the PDP lawmakers who were in majority, even amidst protests from APC lawmakers.
The PDP Senators ensured that Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, did not table any issue for discussion before seeking to adjourn sitting till next week.
Mark however, explained before ruling on the adjournment that the Senate’s decision was in solidarity with their colleagues in the House of Representatives, over the withdrawal of the security personnel attached to the office of Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
“We are not to interfere in the internal affairs of each House. However, as Chairman of the National Assembly, I cannot fold my arms or pretend that all is well about the current crisis.
“I am, therefore, going to do all I can to resolve the current impasse. Furthermore, the matter is already in a court of law, we cannot therefore discuss the issues here. I want to assure all of you that I will do the needful to protect and defend the legislature at all cost,” he said.
Thereafter, the Senators went into closed door meeting in one of the Senate Committee rooms.
At the meeting, the Senators were said to have been briefed by Mark on the outcome of his meetings with the President and leaders of the PDP on the 2015 issue.
THEWILL also gathered that the meeting was briefed of the concession being offered to the Senators by the PDP and that a meeting to finalise the issues would be held late on Wednesday.
Sources at the meeting confirmed to THEWILL that the Senators resolved to continue their protest until President Jonathan and the PDP listen to them by removing what was called the autocracy of the governors through the PDP congresses.
A source at the meeting said: “The meeting was fruitful. We were briefed on the advocacy the President of Senate has undertaken all along. We were also told that the President would lead a meeting of the National Working Committee of the PDP to discuss with us today (Wednesday night).”
Another senator told THEWILL that the lawmakers are demanding automatic tickets for their return to the chamber while there should be level playing field for all aspirants in the 2015 contest.
The source said: “We have agreed with the party’s proposal that at least two serving senators must be given automatic tickets, the governors should be given the ticket for the third person.”
Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma – Egba, who briefed newsmen on Wednesday, said that the Senate was in defense of democracy, adding “defending democracy is bigger than the Senate.”
Ndoma – Egba added: “I am sure you are aware that PDP caucus met yesterday and today (Tuesday and Wednesday) on fundamental issues affecting democracy in Nigeria arising from the ward congress of our party last Saturday.
“The issues need to be addressed very urgently by relevant PDP stakeholders in the interest of our democracy. You will all surely be briefed when the issues are addressed.
“Our democracy is bigger than the senate. The situation in the North East you talked about requires military attention which is already being handled by the military.”
But Senators of the APC rejected the continued shut down of the chamber on Wednesday, calling the PDP senators’ squabble with their party an internal political matter.
Senator Babafemi Ojudu, who spoke for the caucus said that the action of the PDP lawmakers were of no benefit to the overall well-being of the nation.
He accused the PDP senators of not allowing the Senate to sit for two days, adding that the chamber was adjourned as soon as it convened on Tuesday and Wednesday. He said that the decision was insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.
He said: “While we are in sympathy with our colleagues for their fate in the hand of President Jonathan and the governors in their respective states, we the APC Senate Caucus however condemn the habit of prioritising personal interests over national interests at the expense of the people that they swore to protect.”
EMMA UCHE, ABUJA.
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