Pdp chairmen endorse Tambuwal

By Henry Umoru
ABUJA —  AS part of his reconciliation moves, Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal yesterday met with state chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Meanwhile, there is  on-going  agitation between the North East and the South West over the chairmanship position of the party and that of the National Secretary.

Even though  the party had already zoned the Chairmanship position to North East, the South West  is considering the position of national  secretary following its inability to get the post of Speaker as hitherto zoned . The South-West as gathered, is also pushing for the position of National Chairman of the party.

Saturday Vanguard gathered  that yesterday , the meeting which was held behind close doors at Bolingo Hotel, Abuja between 10am to 1pm, was attended by the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha and some members of the House of Representatives, just as the Chairmen endorsed Tambuwal and Ihedioha as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.

The meeting was part of moves to win the support of all in the party especially against the backdrop of how the zoning arrangement of the party was jettisoned by the lower House.

Saturday Vanguard also gathered yesterday that at the end of the meetings  the leadership of the PDP held with the Senate President, Senator David Mark; his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu; the Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and his Deputy, Emeka Ihedioha, and following the fact that Bello Haliru Mohammed had on Wednesday told the speaker that the party must be carried along in the appointment of other principal officers,  an agreement was reached.

According to the breakdown of the agreement reached by both the leadership of the party and that of the National Assembly, the North East will produce the Senate leader with Senator Abdul Ningi being penciled down for the position; the South West will have the Deputy Senate Leader with Senator Hosea Ayoola Agboola, representiang Oyo North Senatorial District for the position and the House of Representatives Chief Whip with Mrs Mulikat Akande-Adeola as the party’s candidate for the position.

It was also agreed that the South South geo-political zone of the country will produce the Senate Whip with Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, Cross River Central and immediate past Deputy Leader of the Senate for the position as South South will also have the position of House leader as well as Chairman, Committee on House Services and North Central Deputy House Whip with Aliyu Ahman Pategi representing Edu/Moro/Pategi Federal Constituency of Kwara State is the person being penciled down for the position.

It would be recalled that the new Speaker, his Deputy and some members of the Lower Legislative Chambers had on Tuesday met with former Federal Commissioner of Information, Chief Edwin Clark at his Asokoro residence, just as they met with the leadership of the party at Wadata, National Secretariat of the PDP on Wednesday where they apologized for making themselves evasive and throwing away the zoning formula of the party.

The meeting was however fruitful as the leadership of the party stressed its readiness to work with the new leadership of the House of Representatives and also agreed to forgive them.

Also on Thursday, the Senate President, the Speaker, the Deputy, Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed met with Vice President Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa as part of the ongoing peace and reconciliation process.

A member of the National Working Committee, NWC who spoke with Saturday Vanguard disclosed yesterday that meetings and consultations with leaders, stakeholders were  on going where a decision will be taken on the distorted zoning formula of the party, even though the ‘stubborn members’ have been forgiven by the party.