THE merger of the G7 governors of the New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) with the All Progressives Congress (APC) is sending jittery down the spines of the Senate leadership.

This was as the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, said the latest development had not affected the PDP caucus in the upper legislative chamber.

Before the merger, on Tuesday, PDP was the majority party, having 74 senators, while APC had 31, with the Labour Party (LP) having three and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) having one senator.

The expectation was that the merger may swell the number of APC senators and thus posing a threat to the present arrangement in the Senate under the PDP leadership.

However, Senator Ndoma-Egba, said the defection of the seven governors to the APC would not affect the configuration.

According to him, since no senator had formally informed the Senate of his defection, then none had moved to another party.

He said the rule guiding defection in the Senate was clear, adding that any senator defecting to another party must state in clear terms his reason(s) for defection.

The Senate Leader described the situation as regretable, but expressed confidence that PDP would overcome it in the end.

He, however, urged the party to close ranks and prevent similar occurrence in the nearest future.

“It is a significant development, though regrettable. It will certainly come with impact. But I believe that PDP is resilient enough to overcome whatever the impact will be.

“PDP has always faced major challenges. If you will recall in 2003, it was not G7, but G19. But in spite of that, PDP still overcame the challenge and went forward to win.

“We also had a situation in 2007, where a sitting vice president defected and we still won. We have always faced challenges. But we have to exert energy to ensure that ranks are closed to prevent similar situation.

“All l can say is that on matters of party unity, there should be a keener sense of urgency. I won’t deceive myself that it will be easy. That was why l told you earlier that we have to develop a keener sense of urgency on matters of party unity,” he said.

Meanwhile, the merger of the five governors with APC revealed a major crack in the rank and file of nPDP senators, as some of them had distanced themselves from the group.

Notably, Senator Simeon Ajibola (Kwara South) also disclosed that no fewer than 10 of the 22 senators in the nPDP had opted out of the arrangement.

Speaking with newsmen after the announcement of the merger, Ajibola said two senators from Niger State and another from Adamawa had never been part of APC since its inception.

He said three senators, Zainab Kure (Niger South), Awaisu Kuta (Niger East) and Bello Tukur (Adamawa Central), had not attended any of the APC meetings since its formation, adding that he was sure they would not go with the party now.

“When they were bandying the news about that 22 senators, including me, were in nPDP in the Senate, 10 out of the 22 were not with them and there is no way we can be said to be with them in the so-called merger.

“Merger or no merger, by 2015, Nigerians will know the grass-roots politicians and the paper tigers,” he said.

Also speaking on the development, Senator Bello Gwarzo (Kano North), dismissed the speculation that the merger would affect PDP.

“I can tell you that the PDP is becoming stronger and stronger everyday. No individual can say he was the one who made PDP.

“The party is a combination of so many politicians coming together to have a common front. Same with other political parties.

“Come 2015, nothing will deter us from winning that election. We will win the majority in the Senate; we will win the majority in the House of Representatives; we will win the presidency on the PDP platform.

“In politics, we believe in permanent ideology, no permanent friend or permanent enemy. It was the decision of the governors to defect. The decision is theirs. To me, it’s all politics. You can belong to any political party you so wish,” he said.

Also reacting to insinuation of a likely change in the leadership of the Senate, another principal officer said even with the merger, the opposition did not have the required two-third majority to effect any change.

“It is not a matter of simple majority; to remove a presiding officer, you need two-third majority.

“They (nPDP) are using the list you people (the media) published before, but some of them have dissociated themselves from the list and the mere fact that they appeared on television, they have to write formally to the Senate to say that they are leaving from one particular party to another.

“Some of the people you saw on television will write. Until we get that letter,we cannot say who is in the majority and who is in the minority,” he said.

SOURCE: http://www.tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/news/news-headlines/item/27238-pdp-faction-apc-merger-unsettles-senate.html

“All l can say is that on matters of party unity, there should be a keener sense of urgency. I won’t deceive myself that it will be easy. That was why l told you earlier that we have to develop a keener sense of urgency on matters of party unity,” he said.

This' Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba speaking, not the PDP E-rats.

*Singing*
If una C wetin una leaders dey C, if una hear wetin una leaders dey hear, nobody will tell you that the PDP end time is near.

Win! win! win! Thats all they're about. A bunch of thieves they are. All of them!

Now that this has finally happened, the PDP should really put on a sense of urgency in matters of unity like sen Ndoma Egba advised.

Time for the president to crown new kings in the affected states and empower them so much as to equal these traitors in money, mischief and muscle. Time to use the incumbency factor to the fullest. Time to withdraw all the perks and priviledges that the traitors enjoy as a result of being part of the government in power. Time for the president to borrow a leaf from OBJ on how he dealt with Atiku and other political foes.

This is politics and politics is war by civilians, using propaganda as bullets and the masses as shield. I hope to see a new president from tomorrow.

Atiku's challenge in 2003 made Obj what he became in his 2nd term. GEJ should be a good student of history. It is good the APC have shown their hand this early, let them not complain when GEJ shows his.

He who laughs last...

utumunta: Now that this has finally happened, the PDP should really put on a sense of urgency in matters of unity like sen Ndoma Egba advised.

Time for the president to crown new kings in the affected states and empower them so much as to equal these traitors in money, mischief and muscle. Time to use the incumbency factor to the fullest. Time to withdraw all the perks and priviledges that the traitors enjoy as a result of being part of the government in power. Time for the president to borrow a leaf from OBJ on how he dealt with Atiku and other political foes.

This is politics and politics is war by civilians, using propaganda as bullets and the masses as shield. I hope to see a new president from tomorrow.

Atiku's challenge in 2003 made Obj what he became in his 2nd term. GEJ should be a good student of history. It is good the APC have shown their hand this early, let them not complain when GEJ shows his.

He who laughs last...

He will be facing an impeachment if he tries any of the nonsense you listed. His impeachment will be accelerated to the extent that he might find himself back in the creek blowing up pipelines. The ball is no more in Jonadunce's court. The "Jonathanians" will see clearly by March 2014.

This new turmoil is good for our democracy. It'll shape how political parties think in future.

The G7 governors just gave Jonathan a free pdp ticket in the 2015 elections. They should have fight Jonathan in the pdp primary election because everybody knows pdp is going to win the next general elections.

utumunta: Now that this has finally happened, the PDP should really put on a sense of urgency in matters of unity like sen Ndoma Egba advised.

Time for the president to crown new kings in the affected states and empower them so much as to equal these traitors in money, mischief and muscle. Time to use the incumbency factor to the fullest. Time to withdraw all the perks and priviledges that the traitors enjoy as a result of being part of the government in power. Time for the president to borrow a leaf from OBJ on how he dealt with Atiku and other political foes.

This is politics and politics is war by civilians, using propaganda as bullets and the masses as shield. I hope to see a new president from tomorrow.

Atiku's challenge in 2003 made Obj what he became in his 2nd term. GEJ should be a good student of history. It is good the APC have shown their hand this early, let them not complain when GEJ shows his.

He who laughs last...

Absolutely. These people underestimate the power of incumbency. The fight is not won on the internet. This is what some folks dont seem t get. Ngige won landslide on Nairaland but even came a distant 3rd in the election. U guyz shud not rejoice yet.

oshyno:

Absolutely. These people underestimate the power of incumbency. The fight is not won on the internet. This is what some folks dont seem t get. Ngige won landslide on Nairaland but even came a distant 3rd in the election. U guyz shud not rejoice yet.

bros d Tide av change...APC also av dere own plan..any single mistake by Mr President means impeachment certain...jst watch..


i still wonder aw Tinubu cope wit Obj bk den..

olatunji21:
bros d Tide av change...APC also av dere own plan..any single mistake by Mr President means impeachment certain...jst watch..


i still wonder aw Tinubu cope wit Obj bk den..

I laugh at your ignorance about impeachment. Do u think it takes only the house ( which APC might have upper hand) to impeach GEJ ? Bro u need both the senate to achieve that. And u think Mark and Ekweremadu will sit by and watch APC impeach Jonathan.

Tukur has told u b4 that they are the Messi of Nigeria politics. Let me give u an insight of how that will play out if APC dare mention Impea not to talk of impeachment.

The atmosphere will be ripe that impeachment is about to happen. PDP members will cause an uproar . Wounds will be inflicted. Security will come in and dispares them . Place the place under lock n key till further notice.

payless:


He will be facing an impeachment if he tries any of the nonsense you listed. His impeachment will be accelerated to the extent that he might find himself back in the creek blowing up pipelines. The ball is no more in Jonadunce's court. The "Jonathanians" will see clearly by March 2014.

How do you guys even reason sef....impeachment when he has at least 160 house members and a majority 64 senate members with only 10 cross carpeting.......APC e-rats are really naïve political analysts, its nice tho because the PDP is much cleaner now as some of the most corrupt ex PDP folk a la timipre sylva,oyinlola, abdulahi adamu,saraki, goje et al have joined the progrethieves....the PDP is now a more level headed , disciplined party with unshakable unity while the APC is a big cauldron waiting to explode,