Wary of the threat posed by the rising influence of the All Progressives Congress in the House of Representatives, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, met with its lawmakers on Tuesday evening at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The meeting which was still on as at 10:00 p.m. last night was attended by governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Labour Party, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.
The National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Mu’azu, led members of the party’s National Working Committee to the meeting.
The governors at the meeting include Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom, PDP), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo, Labour Party), Peter Obi (Anambra, APGA), Emmanuel Uduagham (Delta, PDP), Theodore Orji (Abia, PDP) Babangida Aliyu (Niger, PDP) Liyel Imoke (Cross River, PDP), Ramalan Yero (Kaduna, PDP), Usman Darkingeri (Kebbi, PDP) and Acting Governor Garba Umar (Taraba State, PDP).
The deputy governors of Kogi and Jigawa states were also in attendance.
Members of the lower chamber from the three parties were also present at the all-important meeting, which comes on the heels of APC’s directive to its lawmakers in the National Assembly to shut down government if President Goodluck Jonathan does not put a stop to the reign of lawlessness in Rivers State.
What would be a major revelation from the meeting was when the House Leader, Mulikat Akande-Adeola, in her welcome address reminded the PDP of its promise to offer all its lawmakers automatic tickets for 2015 election, ostensibly to deter them from defecting to the APC. She asked the PDP not to renege on that promise.
She said: “Members of this House will want to be reassured of the party’s promise of automatic tickets in the forthcoming elections, their welfare and opportunity to nominate membership of the various committees from their respective constituencies whenever the need arises.
“All these measures will no doubt go a long way in soothing frail nerves, engender unflinching loyalty and indeed utmost commitment to the cause of the party”.
On his part, Akapabio admitted that the ruling party was facing difficult times, but said if all members worked together, “we believe we can pick up the pieces”.
He also noted that most members of the PDP in the House and their governors do not seem to be on the same page soon after the lawmakers assumed power in Abuja.
He added that the meeting was actually the initiative of the PDP governors’ forum to correct the mistakes of the past.
Akpabio added, “We are determined to bring closeness to the PDP family so that we can forge a closer working relationship.
“The outcome of this meeting will determine the exit or return of some of you from the House of Representatives.
“Whatever we seal here will become the Abuja Accord”.
On the presence of Obi and Mimiko at the meeting, Akpabio, who is chairman of the PDPGF, said it was to assure the lawmakers that the PDP was no longer alone.
“You should understand political language and you know what I mean”, he added.
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