Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are winning their battle with senators over who gets the party’s senatorial tickets ahead of next year’s elections.
President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP are said to have reversed their decision to concede automatic return tickets to 40 Senators.
The governors, especially those who are about completing their second term, are interested in going to the Senate and want serving senators dropped for them.
They also claim that some Senators will fail if fielded by the party.
It was learnt yesterday that the list of the 40 Senators was being reviewed at press time.
But the u-turn made by the President and the PDP has angered some of the affected senators who are now believed to be willing to take their own pound of flesh by supporting the impeachment plot in the National Assembly.
The Nation gathered that about 20 senators may eventually be given automatic slots in 2015.
A highly placed source said security reports and field studies have shown that it is no longer realistic to grant the 40 senators automatic tickets.
The PDP governors had made representations to the President and the party, rejecting the automatic tickets.
The source said: “Following pressure from governors, the Presidency and PDP have decided to tinker with the list of the senators who may get automatic tickets.
“The party needs to take into cognizance the performance of senators, the peculiar local environment in the state; the zoning formula and the overall chances of the party.
“We also have instances where automatic tickets have caused crises in some states between governors and senators. The overall intention of the automatic tickets is to enrich the legislature and not to stoke fire.”
A high-ranking Senator said the President, the PDP and the Senate leadership “ have gone back to the drawing board on how we can come up with a win-win situation for all.
“We learnt that not all the 40 senators will be given automatic tickets again as agreed some weeks ago at the Presidential Villa.
“So, we are awaiting the list of the beneficiaries of the auto tickets. We hope those returning will be appreciable to enhancing legislative business in the 8th Senate.”
A top official of the PDP said: “I think about 20 of the senators may eventually return after harmonization of all factors.
The party will be fair to all because we do not only need to win the presidency; we have to secure the National Assembly too.
But one of the senators, who spoke in confidence, said: “It will not augur well for the President and the PDP to allow the governors to force the party to dance to their tunes.
Some of these governors are leaving the stage with credibility problem and they should not create any electoral crisis for PDP.
The President and the PDP are however afraid of these governors. We should be careful or else there might be protest votes in some states.
Led by the President of the Senate, Chief David Mark, about 60 senators recently met with President Jonathan at the Villa.
At the end of the session, the PDP leadership was mandated to go and consider the modalities of giving 40 senators their return tickets.
Based on the harmonised list, those expected to return are : Chief David Mark, Senate Deputy President Ike Ekweremadu, Ahmed Makarfi, Nenadi Esther Usman, Smart Adeyemi, Atai Idoko-Ali, Barnabas Gemade, Barth Nnaji, Pius Akinyelure, Boluwaji Kunlere, Philip Aduda, Enyinnaya Abaribe, and Uche Chukwumerije.
Also on the list are: Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba, Bassey Otu, Benedict Ayade, Zainab Kure, Simeon Ajibola, Adeseun Ayoade Ademola, Agboola Hosea Ayoola, Emmanuel Bwacha, Umar Abubakar Tutari, Suleiman Adokwe,
Also enjoying concession are Maccido Muhammad Ahmed, Abdullahi Danladi, Hassan Abdulmumin, Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, James Manager, Emmanuel Paulker, Heineken Lokpobri, Tukur Bello, Hassan Barata, Lidani Joshua, Alkali Saidu Ahmed, Andy Uba, Margery Okadigbo, Magnus Odion Ugbesia, Garba Gamawa Babayo, and Adamu Gumba.
Source: The Nation
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