PDP orders senators to vote one candidate

A few days to the convening of the eighth National Assembly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has launched a plot to take the Senate presidency from the All Progressives Congress (APC) which controls the majority of senators.

But the APC is not taking chances. It has summoned a meeting of its lawmakers to forge a united front.

The plot, if it succeeds, may lead to the return of outgoing Senate President David Mark and his deputy Ike Ekweremadu to their positions.

The PDP has directed its 49 senators to vote for one candidate when the eighth Senate convenes.

The APC is left with 59 Senators following the death of reelected Borno Senator Ahmed Zanna.

Although APC ought to produce the next President of the Senate, with its simple majority, the party has not reached a consensus.

Senate Committee on Public Accounts Chairman Ahmed Lawan and Ecology Committee Chairman Bukola Saraki are locked in a battle of popularity for the job.

The Nation learnt that PDP leaders at the party’s retreat in Port Harcourt,the Rivers State capital, for its senators-elect and members of the House of Representatives-elect mooted the idea of the opposition retaining the senate presidency.

It was gathered that the PDP leaders agreed that with block votes by its 49 senators, the party could win the must coveted seat with a simple majority.

The permutation of the PDP is that APC might be unable to birdge the gap between Lawan and Saraki.

A highly-placed source said: “The PDP leaders held a secret meeting in Port Harcourt on Monday night to finetune the plot.

“The development may see Mark and Ekweremadu joining the race in a ‘tactical moment’ if the APC remains divided.

“The PDP is seeking to retain the office because there is no rule which says either the majority party or the opposition should produce the president of the Senate.”

The source cited Section 50 (1) of the 1999 Constitution to back the lacuna.

The section says: “There shall be a President and a Deputy President of the Senate who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves…”

Apparently sensing the danger in going into the Senate presidency race divided, the APC leadership has called a meeting of its senators and Representatives for tomorrow in Abuja.

A statement by National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed inviting the lawmakers to the meeting did not reveal the agenda. It only urged them to be punctual at the International Conference Centre venue.

The meetings with the senators and the Reps will hold separately.

It was, however, learnt that the meetings might be used to galvanise a consensus.

As for the PDP, it was learnt that some of its governors have offered to bankroll the project to “pay back APC in its own coin for controlling the Seventh House of Representatives even when President Goodluck Jonathan was still in charge”.

Another source added: “We also want to spring a surprise and prove that anything is possible in politics. Once Mark and Ekweremadu are back in the saddle, APC will need at least the support of 72 or 73 members to remove them.

“If you look at Section 50 (2) (c), the votes of not less than two-thirds majority of the Senate are required to remove the President of the Senate and deputy.”

“The PDP is trying to capitalise on internal wrangling within APC to realise its agenda.”

A third source however spoke of Plan B by some PDP leaders bordering on block votes.

The source added: “What the Port Harcourt retreat has so far achieved is the need for PDP senators-elect to vote enbloc based on prevailing circumstances in the Senate.

“The horse-trading will determine the direction of PDP bloc votes although the opposition is waiting in the wing for any slip.”

In his speech at the retreat in Port Harcourt, the outgoing President of the Senate, Chief David Mark, pleaded with PDP members-elect in the National Assembly to be united.



Mark said: “We must subject our individual interest to our group interest. In the election of principal officers of National Assembly, we must vote in one accord. We must know that united we stand, divided we fall.

“We must take our destinies in our hands. We must be ready to provide credible, vibrant, determined and focused opposition to the party in power in a manner that would guarantee development and good governance.

“In doing so, we must maintain a strong synergy between our members in the National Assembly and the National Working Committee. The PDP is still a brand all Nigerians know. We just need to reinvent the wheels and move forward.”

OkutaNla:
The only way PDP can ever stand a chance of clinching the Senate Presidency is if at least 9 APC senators decide to vote for whoever will be running under the PDP, coz even if all the current PDP Senators decide to vote for one of their own they will still lack the needed votes to clinch the position. But like passing shot said, the APC needs to get its act together.

OREMUSSANCTUS:
I pity tinubu
All his calculations will fail
Investment(Buhari) gone bad

OREMUSSANCTUS:
I pity tinubu
All his calculations will fail
Investment(Buhari) gone bad

kettykings:

I think just 6 Apc senators is all that David mark needs to stage a come back

OkutaNla:


No,. APC has 63, PDP has 46. You need 55 to win the senate presidency.

PassingShot:
It's a simple and straight forward case:

APC either present a consensus candidate and win the senate presidency;

Or presents a divided house (two candidates) and lose it to PDP.

kettykings:


Mark my words, tinubu will go to jail like Awolowo or like James ibori or like Alameseigha , which ever way he go to jail and die there. While vultures steal and loot and recover some of his stolen money

Emenahagos02:
My own is that that tinubu of a guy is too ugly for my liking.

kettykings:


The report says 49 PDP 59 Apc but say 63 Apc and 46 pdp

kettykings:

I think just 6 Apc senators is all that David mark needs to stage a come back

Iroh88:
He's not going to get ONE. Neither Akume nor Gemade would even vote for him.

OkutaNla:


Unless some APC senators play spoilers, PDP can't win it.

Iroh88:
But his bank account is so beautiful he could get your mom or any of your sisters in his bed if it pleases him.

Fools talking out of turn every damn day.

OkutaNla:

Lol. You people never learn say? Still shouting "mark my words" like robots. How many such"mark my words" did we hear about Buhari losing the election? ?

If GEJ and OBJ as hard as they tried couldn't frame Tinubu enough to jail him, shey na your pops go jail am? Smh

Iroh88:
Why would they do when knowing how detrimental that would be to the success of their political careers and their party in general??

Iroh88:
He's not going to get ONE. Neither Akume nor Gemade would even vote for him.

kettykings:


I just did my analysis based on Tinubu's antecedents and historical records of how politicians play their politics, just understand that 2019 is around the corner and from the look of things the northern hawks in APC who no that buhari will not be interested in 2019 would have been updating their dossier on how to silence tinubu for life and keep him out of their way to the presidency.
While tinubu whose past records are not too good like kashamu will be warming up to plan his candidate for 2019.
The inevitable clash would be too catastrophic that one side would be Definitely silenced for life in this case tinubu will go because outside the south west he has no sympathies.

OkutaNla:


Lol. You must be one of those fake prophets we have all over the place,dishing out and serving all kinds of fantastic delusions.

And you think Tinubu is stewpid and a learner in politics? Smh.

Emenahagos02:
FYI am the only child and mumsy is late, if you don't mind me doing a swap with your mum and sis's, what are friends for FOOL.

Emenahagos02:
My own is that that tinubu of a guy is too ugly for my liking.

MarvellousGod:
Is it about PDP and APC or about the person that can do the job well?? Smh