11 PDP senators threaten to dump party

Indications that all is not well with the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) and its caucus in the Senate emerged yesterday,
precisely a week after the senators embarked on work-to-rule.
Daily Sun gathered that 11 PDP senators from the North West
had threatened to dump the party in view of what they considered
the high-handedness of the party. The aggrieved senators told
the party’s caucus that the PDP was becoming an endangered
party in the zone because the opposition All Progressives Con­
gress (APC) had gained ground. They likened the party’s
tickets in the zone to ‘poisoned chalice”, thus corroborating
another Senator, Edobor Uzemere, who hitherto, compared PDP
tickets in Edo State to the “Zimbabwean dollar, which is of no
value”
Meanwhile, the senators may return to the trenches because of
moves by governors of the party to upturn a gentleman’ agreement
reached by the lawmakers, the party and the Presidency.
Recall that a truce meeting convened by President Goodluck
Jonathan in Aso Rock, last Friday, which had in attendance,
PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu reportedly
resolved to ensure that at least two senators per state return to
the chamber in 2015
Indications that all was not well with the party soon came to the
fore when Senate President David Mark announced at plenary
that the caucus would meet in Hearing Room 1 immediately after
the session.
At the meeting, it was gathered that the senators reviewed the
situation, against the backdrop of reports that “the Presidency
would renege on the agreement reached with the lawmakers.
Sources in the National Assembly confirmed, on Wednesday that
PDP governors held a meeting with President Jonathan after his
formal declaration on Tuesday and that the governors, at the
meeting argued that the President should revisit the issue of
automatic tickets for Senators.
“We were told at the meeting that PDP governors met with the
President late on Tuesday and resolved that the party should
allow them to review the issue of automatic tickets to the
governors on a state by state basis instead of granting automatic
tickets to the senators just like that. We see this as a ploy to
outwit the senators and undermine our agreement with President
Jonathan and the party, ”the sources noted.
“We believe that the move by the governors is a fresh bid to
shortchange the lawmakers and reverse the conclusion of the
meeting we held with the President and the party. Senators are
not happy and I can tell you that a number of people are already
contemplating ditching the party,” a source in the National
Assembly said.
The caucus, however, resolved that Mark should act as liaison
between the Senate and the Presidency, and in effect, the party
on further developments.