Speaker, deputy apologise for defying PDP over zoning
The national working committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday accepted apologies offered by the new speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, and his deputy, Emeka Ihedioha, for violating the zoning formula of the party by contesting for the positions on Tuesday when the seventh session of the House was inaugurated.
The acting chairperson of PDP, Bello Mohammed, accepted the apology on behalf of the party during a meeting with Messrs Tambuwal and Ihedioha at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja on Wednesday.
The meeting was held in the open for about 15 minutes before it went into a closed-door session.
Mr Tambuwal had admitted in a speech that he and Ihedioha gave the party leaders sleepless night, but that they had come to ask for their forgiveness. He said it was a coincidence of history that they emerged against the hope and aspiration of the ruling party.
"As your dear children and as loyal members, we are here this afternoon to give you your due respect and to say here and now that all that we did was not intended in anyway, to either undermine our party or out of disrespect to our party.
"We are pleading with our party, to forgive whatever it was that went wrong in the process and continue to accept us because I know that we have not been rejected as your children and continue to guide us in doing only those things that will promote the unity, harmony, prosperity and peace of this country."
The speaker added that he and his deputy were at the party's secretariat to assure its leaders and President Goodluck Jonathan that they would give the government maximum cooperation towards ensuring that all the laudable programmes of the party were implemented through good legislation that would come out of the House in collaboration with the Senate.
Not rejected
Mr Mohammed expressed happiness with the visit of the speaker and his deputy, but regretted that they did not toe the party line.
"You are right, we are not very happy with you at this moment. But we are quite aware that you and your colleagues in the House did not quite work in line with the policy of our party. But you have not left the party. What has happened has happened.
"We are not quite comfortable, but we have not rejected you. And PDP, being a large party, and a collection of different mind-sets, we are used to crisis in the affairs of our party," he said.
Mr Mohammed said that the party would resort to its usual dispute mechanism to "work out a way forward," stressing that "all we want is peace and stability in this country."
The acting national chairperson said that in zoning the PDP does not look at individuals but institutions because only the party had a zoning policy that assures all parts of the country of a fair share of participation in the decision-making process.
"PDP wants to assure that all zones, all tribes, all religions, big or small, have got a share and have got a say in the formation and the process of governance of this country.
"That is why we have had zoning and rotation and put it in our constitution. I am sure, Mr Speaker, that your election will not mean the end of zoning.
"Because even if we don't take zoning as a policy, PDP is a party of equity and fair play and equity and fair play demands that of the major positions, at the party and the government, each section of this country should have at least one position or the other so that we can achieve peace and stability. We know, Mr Speaker, you wouldn't go out of your way to spite your party.
"And that is why I said earlier that what happened came to us as a surprise. But the circumstances that warranted what has happened in the House of Representatives will be carefully studied by the party. And we will reach an amicable settlement of whatever issues that are outstanding.
"But I can assure you, the party will work with you; the government of Nigeria under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan will work with you. And we will make sure that the government with you so that the mutual cooperation that we have developed in the last twelve years will continue."
In the loop
Mr Mohammed asked the speaker to involve the party in the selection of the remaining principal officers in the House in order to balance the power sharing formula.
Meanwhile, a source at the closed-door meeting, which lasted for over one hour, revealed that the PDP leaders insisted on consulting other organs of the party before finally determining the next line of action.
According to the source, the speaker and his deputy were told that the National Caucus, Board of Trustees and the National Executive Committee of the party would determine the next line of action to take on the matter, an indication that the new principal officers of the party have not been let off the hook.
The acting chairperson of PDP, Bello Mohammed, accepted the apology on behalf of the party during a meeting with Messrs Tambuwal and Ihedioha at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja on Wednesday.
The meeting was held in the open for about 15 minutes before it went into a closed-door session.
Mr Tambuwal had admitted in a speech that he and Ihedioha gave the party leaders sleepless night, but that they had come to ask for their forgiveness. He said it was a coincidence of history that they emerged against the hope and aspiration of the ruling party.
"As your dear children and as loyal members, we are here this afternoon to give you your due respect and to say here and now that all that we did was not intended in anyway, to either undermine our party or out of disrespect to our party.
"We are pleading with our party, to forgive whatever it was that went wrong in the process and continue to accept us because I know that we have not been rejected as your children and continue to guide us in doing only those things that will promote the unity, harmony, prosperity and peace of this country."
The speaker added that he and his deputy were at the party's secretariat to assure its leaders and President Goodluck Jonathan that they would give the government maximum cooperation towards ensuring that all the laudable programmes of the party were implemented through good legislation that would come out of the House in collaboration with the Senate.
Not rejected
Mr Mohammed expressed happiness with the visit of the speaker and his deputy, but regretted that they did not toe the party line.
"You are right, we are not very happy with you at this moment. But we are quite aware that you and your colleagues in the House did not quite work in line with the policy of our party. But you have not left the party. What has happened has happened.
"We are not quite comfortable, but we have not rejected you. And PDP, being a large party, and a collection of different mind-sets, we are used to crisis in the affairs of our party," he said.
Mr Mohammed said that the party would resort to its usual dispute mechanism to "work out a way forward," stressing that "all we want is peace and stability in this country."
The acting national chairperson said that in zoning the PDP does not look at individuals but institutions because only the party had a zoning policy that assures all parts of the country of a fair share of participation in the decision-making process.
"PDP wants to assure that all zones, all tribes, all religions, big or small, have got a share and have got a say in the formation and the process of governance of this country.
"That is why we have had zoning and rotation and put it in our constitution. I am sure, Mr Speaker, that your election will not mean the end of zoning.
"Because even if we don't take zoning as a policy, PDP is a party of equity and fair play and equity and fair play demands that of the major positions, at the party and the government, each section of this country should have at least one position or the other so that we can achieve peace and stability. We know, Mr Speaker, you wouldn't go out of your way to spite your party.
"And that is why I said earlier that what happened came to us as a surprise. But the circumstances that warranted what has happened in the House of Representatives will be carefully studied by the party. And we will reach an amicable settlement of whatever issues that are outstanding.
"But I can assure you, the party will work with you; the government of Nigeria under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan will work with you. And we will make sure that the government with you so that the mutual cooperation that we have developed in the last twelve years will continue."
In the loop
Mr Mohammed asked the speaker to involve the party in the selection of the remaining principal officers in the House in order to balance the power sharing formula.
Meanwhile, a source at the closed-door meeting, which lasted for over one hour, revealed that the PDP leaders insisted on consulting other organs of the party before finally determining the next line of action.
According to the source, the speaker and his deputy were told that the National Caucus, Board of Trustees and the National Executive Committee of the party would determine the next line of action to take on the matter, an indication that the new principal officers of the party have not been let off the hook.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
I am appauled by the behaviour of the new speaker and his deputy,i don't think they are PDP members ,maybe they are not aware of the zoning formular of the party........i personally think they shuld be punished for disrupting the formular.not pat them at the back.
ReplyDelete'PDP is a party of equity and fair play and equity'if anything is not done to return to the status quo.i donot belive the party that adheres to it's policy of equity and fair play.as enounciated by Mr Mohammed.
The recent triumph of people's choice over the selfish interest of selected few at the floor of the HOUSE is a good development for our nacent democracy;OBJ and his co-travelers, prio to 2011 election jettisioned zoning only to embrace it when they could no longer contain the hydra headed monster it has given birth to.The monster created by PDP's elders are out to destroy them.
ReplyDelete