Jonathan picks presidential nomination and expression of interest forms
Feelers emerged yesterday that President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, may have bowed to the demand of aggrieved PDP senators for automatic ticket in the 2015 elections.
It would be recalled that shortly after the party hierarchy allowed state governors to control party structures in their respective states as regards the fast approaching elections, serving senators mounted pressure to be granted automatic return tickets.
On Wednesday, the PDP-dominated Senate had abruptly adjourned plenary for two days over alleged hijack of electoral materials for the recently conducted ward congresses by the governors, which they believe makes their re-election bids and even aspirations for other political positions difficult.
Reports have it that Senate President, David Mark on Thursday night led other aggrieved PDP senators to the meeting with Jonathan and the NWC of the PDP, which was presided over by the national Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Saturday Vanguard quoted one of the senators, who participated in the meeting between Jonathan and the national leadership of the party as saying that both parties agreed that the senators would be allowed automatic tickets to contest the 2015 general elections.
According to the source, “After listening to our grievances, President Jonathan showed understanding of our plight and assured that any of us that had shown interest to return to the National assembly would have the ticket.
“This is a welcome development; a situation whereby about seventy five percent of serving senators are given automatic tickets by the party to return after elections will strengthen our democracy”, the senator said.
Another source also hinted that the deliberation was fruitful as the party’s NWC was mandated to work out the modality which would ensure that the senators were returned in 2015 without causing more crises within the party.
The senator hinted that the senate would now resume for legislative business on Tuesday considering that strong assurances regarding their fate in 2015 had been given them.
On whether the controversial PDP ward congresses conducted would be cancelled to accommodate them in the promised automatic ticket, he said there was nothing like cancellation but that the NWC would work out the modalities.
The newspaper reports that President Jonathan and the PDP’s NWC had to give in to the demand of the senators to ensure that the harmonious relationship between the president and the senate continued, considering that the senate had always stood by the presidency during critical times.
The PDP leadership were also mindful of the fact that allowing new crop of senators to take over the senate would not be in the interest of the presidency following the hard tackles against Jonathan by the House of Representatives.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe refused letting journalists into the outcome of the meeting as he stressed that the matter was a party affair.
The implication of the party’s decision to allow the senators continue would be that some of the nine serving governors like Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State and his counterparts in Abia -Theodore Orji; Benue – Gabriel Suswam; Enugu- Sullivan Chime; Delta- Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan; Ebonyi- Martin Elechi; Katsina – Ibrahim Shema; Kebbi Aliyu Dakinbari and Plateau- Jonah Jang stand to miss the opportunity of going to the Senate following party decisions.
It remains to be seen whether the governors would take this new development lying low bearing in mind the stupendous influence they command in the party.
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