Nwodo announces automatic ticket for federal lawmakers

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, yesterday revealed the sealed deal between federal lawmakers on the platform of the PDP and the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) as the 2011 power game takes shape.

There had been speculation in the media that the recent nocturnal meetings between the party’s leadership and the lawmakers were to placate the Senators and members of the House of Representatives to support the presidential ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Speaking yesterday at the opening ceremony of the capacity building training for female aspirants of the PDP, Nwodo gave credence to the speculation as he confirmed that the party would give automatic tickets to federal lawmakers, who had distinguished themselves.

“We have said it at the party secretariat and at the National Assembly when we went to meet members of the House of Representatives and the senators; we said that we, as a party, want to grow this democracy and in trying to grow democracy, what we need to do is to have some form of continuity and therefore, we will like as many members of parliament who are performing and who are also acceptable in some extent in their constituencies to come back. Unless we do that, we will continue our learning process. Everyday we are learning; we should stop learning. We have to build and consolidate on the democratic institution.

“So, in doing that, I think the next thing I am going to push for is that in returning as many parliamentarians as possible. And those who are there, who are women, we could, at least, guarantee their seats.’’
Daily Sun also learnt that as part of the incentives to curry the favour of PDP senators and members of the House of Representatives, the PDP NWC has sealed a deal with the party caucus which met on Tuesday night in Abuja to reverse its order of primaries.

In the new arrangement, the primary for candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives would come first to be followed by the presidential primary, while the primary for the party governorship candidates would now come last, unlike the initial timetable arrangement, where the governorship primary was given precedence over the presidential primary.

The Daily Sun source further revealed that the new arrangement had been adopted by the party’s caucus while the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), which was expected to meet and also adopt it for the final ratification of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC), expected to meet next Tuesday.

A contentious bill to confer on members of the National Assembly automatic membership of their parties’ NEC is generating furore in the country as it was alleged that the presidency was behind it to galvanise support of PDP senators and House of Representatives members and stave off the influence of the PDP governors on the party NWC and its NEC when crucial decisions were to be taken.

Already senators on platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) and the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) are members of their parties’ NEC. Speaking further on the occasion, Nwodo appealed to the women to use the opportunity of the forum to articulate their needs, as he assured them that the party would not renege on its pledge to concede 35 per cent of elective posts to women and give financial assistance to all its female candidates seeking elective offices.


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/dec/09/national-09-12-2010-001.htm

Magic they say !