Some national dailies at the weekend carried claims by an anonymous Senator that President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held a meeting in which they granted automatic tickets to 40 out of 72 PDP Senators to return to the Senate in 2015.
However, these claims are now being roundly debunked by another Senator, Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman representing Kogi Central Senatorial District as he denies that any such deal was struck and describes the report of a “harmonized” list of automatic ticket holders as misleading and completely untrue.
Abatemi-Usman states that the source of the erroneous report is a well-known Senator who has been trying to create the false impression that he is close to the national PDP leadership and the Presidency, even claiming recently that President Jonathan has endorsed him as the next Senate President.
“My colleague should be careful as he is becoming known as the purveyor of dubious information. I was at the meeting from the beginning to the end and at no point was any list of Senators drafted.
It is unfortunate that a fellow Senator would peddle such rumours and that respected national newspapers would publish the report without checking the facts,” the Senator said.
He went on to explain that during the meeting, the Senator he suspected to have fielded the false report complained that his Governor was trying to scheme him out of office by installing his political opponents as electoral delegates in his senatorial district.
He added: “What our national chairman did after some Senators had spoken their minds was to look at the situation in each state, and he said where there are issues they will be resolved amicably. If there was any such list my name definitely would have been included because the chairman said he is not aware that I am having any problem in Kogi Central while speaking on the situation in Kogi State. He said the problem in Kogi West will be resolved.
That was the manner in which the Chairman went through all the States. Neither he, nor the President at any time mentioned names of Senators to be granted automatic tickets. It seems my colleague behind the purported report is being mischievous in spreading this story and the public should disregard his claims.”
FROM MICHAEL JEGEDE MEDIA AIDE TO THE SENATOR NURUDEEN ABATEMI-USMAN REPRESENTING KOGI CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT
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