Jonathan, Nyako, Amaechi, other rebel govs strike deal •Now to nominate new ministers as PDP peace initiative takes shape As part of the rapprochement within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the seven aggrieved governors have been given the green light by Aso Rock to nominate replacements of ministers sacked from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) last Wednesday. This was one of the deals reached at the meeting between the governors and President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday. The governors are Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara). A source privy to the deal said it was agreed that each of the aggrieved governors can forward ministerial nominees to replace the nine ministers sacked during the last FEC meeting. “One of the aggrieved governors from the North, who attended the Sunday meeting, has already nominated his commissioner in compliance with the new deal. “In fact, the commissioner is part of his kitchen cabinet, if not one of those close to him in the administration of the state. So, why are we fighting and shouting new PDP and old PDP. Have they not settled their fight now?”,a source asked. Other sources said that lawmakers would not be used to fight “a proxy war” with Aso Rock. Meanwhile, as the Senate resumes plenary today, there is an indication that it would be difficult to effect any change in the leadership structure of the Upper Chamber. Several factors mitigate against the “rebels” pushing for leadership change. One major obstacle is the Senate Standing Rules (2011, as amended) which deal with ranking or seniority in the chamber. In the Sixth Senate, the rule was amended to, strictly, allow only ranking, senior members contest for the office of the President of the Senate. The rule was amended to forestall the experience of having a “rookie” senator contest the seat as it happened when the now Minority Leader, George Akume, contested against his kinsman, David Mark, who by then was in his third term, having been elected for Benue South senatorial district since 1999. Mark defeated Akume and the rule was amended to forestall such incidence in future. As at June 6, 2011, only two senators were qualified for that seat: David Mark and Bello Hayatou Gwarzo. They had both been elected for a record fourth term and Mark had an easy ride to the senate presidency, while Gwarzo became the Senate Chief Whip. For there to be any change of leadership, the rule must be amended again while two-thirds majority is needed to do that. The second crucial factor is that the new PDP or any other faction in the chamber desirous of leadership change must secure two-thirds majority of 109 members. The third factor is for any new senator to become senate president, two standing orders must be suspended, besides securing the two-thirds majority. Meanwhile, National Assembly sources have said that some members of the old PDP being wooed by the new PDP have “rubbished” four out of the five conditions being tabled before the party. “Out of the five conditions being tabled, four did not directly concern some of us in this chamber because we are lawmakers. First and foremost, the governors are calling for the lifting of the suspension slammed on Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi. How does that concern me as a lawmaker? “On the second condition of recognition of the Amaechi faction of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), again, how does that affect my duties as a legislator? Thirdly, that the PDP National Chairman should be removed? Is he the President of the Senate? Do they know that some of us are not PDP members and that some are even on their way out of the PDP? Why should that argument now permeate to the floor of the Senate? It’s an internal problem of the PDP; it doesn’t concern us as lawmakers. “The only concern some of us have is that of 2015 and it only concerns us in so far as we can get our return tickets; that’s all there is to it,” he said. Another ranking lawmaker argued that by announcing the new PDP in the Senate, “they just want to use us to fight a proxy war after all, when they went to that meeting with the President and the Board of Trustees, did they call any of us to the meeting? Check your facts, no Senator was invited to the meeting. “Only those who have problems with the EFCC among us should go and answer to what they did before coming to the Senate; or have you heard that we awarded billions of contracts?” While some members of the Senate PDP caucus equally insist that, “the demands by the governors should not be brought to the chamber at all.” The Senate PDP caucus was scheduled to meet in Mark’s residence last night ahead of today’s resumption of plenary. Some members of the caucus who would attend the parley described it as a purely “family meeting. The Senate, whether PDP or not, remains a family, whether there’s a crisis or not…We want to meet as a family before Tuesday. Let’s see how we can forge ahead,” he said. In a clear reference to the PDP crisis, the source, who is a ranking senator, said: “We can’t force anybody to join either the new PDP or remain in the old PDP. This is a PDP problem. It will be solved in-house…when you play in the arena, you become part of the problem and it is our statutory responsibility to get a solution to the problem. The Monday meeting should, hopefully, resolve that.” Senate is expected to resume today. 0 Email Share
Posted on: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 17:42:14 +0000