President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday held a meeting with the aggrieved senators on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for a deal.
THISDAY was reliably informed on Wednesday that the president, in reaction to PDP senators’ decision to shut down legislation in the upper chamber, summoned the aggrieved party members to a meeting at the Presidential Villa.
The meeting which was held at 10p.m., was said to have been attended by the president along with members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
One of the senators who did not want to be named, told THISDAY that the president and NWC members opted to swiftly convene the meeting because of the consciousness of the threat posed to PDP’s chances at the 2015 polls by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The senators had on Tuesday threatened to shut down legislation in protest of their losses at the party’s ward congresses on Saturday, saying President Jonathan had handed PDP structures in their states to the governors.
They resolved that until the president and the NWC of the party reverse the trend in a way that will enhance their chances to return to the Senate in 2015 the upper legislative chamber would remain shut down indefinitely.
Indeed, while they adjourned sitting by standing down all the items on the Order Paper on Tuesday, they also made real their threat to perpetuate the action indefinitely as they repeated the same trend yesterday by adjourning sittings till November 11, throwing out all matters slated for consideration.
They threatened to ensure that the trend continues until the president addresses their grievances.
According to them, they had given maximum support to the president since inception and hence did not deserve to be left in the cold as shown by the output of the last ward congresses of PDP.
However, on Wednesday, angry youths under the aegis of Nigerian Youth Movement for Peace, Empowerment and Transformation stormed the National Assembly and issued a 10-day ultimatum to lawmakers to re-open the institution or face violent and forceful take-over of the parliament.
The group said they were enraged by the federal lawmakers’ decision to shut down both chambers of the federal legislature in pursuit of their selfish objectives.
Whereas Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, had on October 28, defected from the PDP to the APC and consequently announced adjournment of sittings to December 3, the senators on Tuesday threatened to shut down legislation in protest of their losses at the party’s ward congresses on Saturday
The youth group which was denied entrance into the National Assembly premises by security operatives which shut the gate threatened that if in the next 10 days, the National Assembly does not resume legislative business, the youths would be mobilised across the 36 states of the federation and the long gate would be pulled down to enable them gain entrance into the premises.
The group’s spokesman, Rex Anighoro, described the Senate’s decision to shut down the chamber as a show of impunity, selfishness and an aberration which he said would not be allowed to go unchallenged.
He said: “The odious oddity is the senators’ decision to engage in macabre dance. Nigeria’s union is sick and needs medical attention. These people are serving their personal and parochial interests. They expressed solidarity for Tambuwal’s defection not on the basis of morality but because of their selfish interests.
“Because they lost at their ward congresses, therefore, they shut the Senate and declared solidarity for Tambuwal with the intention to put the president under pressure. That is why we are saying no to impunity in every stratum of government. This is an aberration. The people of Nigeria are not in their calculations. They are only concerned about the survival of their selfish interests,” he said.
Also castigating Tambuwal and the entire National Assembly, he added: “It’s a shame for Tambuwal to go on recess when he’s needed most. Members of Nigeria’s National Assembly are the highest paid in the world while our military are the least paid in the world. They shut down the National Assembly when Adamawa, Borno, Yobe are on fire and money keeps coming into their pocket. It is a sin on them. People ought to rise up against this impunity. It is a disservice to us.
“Tambuwal ought to be representing the youth groups. All over the world, leadership age is coming down. We expected Tambuwal to give us hope but sadly, he is eating the same pie. We are saying the House should reconvene. If they don’t reconvene in the next 10 days, we will mobilise all youth groups to compel them to reconvene or else, we will pull down this gate and the congress of the people will take over the National Assembly. If they don’t reconvene, it shows they are the real Boko Haram (which should be fought),” he said.
Also speaking, Bishop Amakiri, said since Tambuwal, a lawyer, knew the constitution provision in Section 68(1g), he should have honourably resigned after announcing his defection on October 28.
However, Senate President, David Mark, yesterday swiftly reacted to the threat by his colleagues in the PDP caucus that senators would team up with members of the House of Representatives to impeach Jonathan in expression of their solidarity with Tambuwal when the need arises.
Mark, while speaking before the parliament adjourned parliamentary proceedings yesterday, said the Senate would not interfere in matters of the House moreso that Tambuwal’s defection has now become the subject of litigation. Nevertheless, he vowed to protect the interest of legislature as the case may be.
“We are not to interfere in the internal affairs of each House. However, as Chairman of the National Assembly, I cannot fold my arms or pretend that all is well about the current crisis. I am therefore going to do all I can to resolve the current impasse.
“Furthermore, the matter is already in a court of law; we cannot therefore discuss the issues here. I want to assure all of you that I will do the needful to protect and defend the legislature at all cost,” Mark said.
However, unlike the situation on Tuesday, APC senators yesterday attempted to stop PDP senators from adjourning proceedings in pursuit of their personal goals but the opposition lawmakers lacked the required capacity to do so through the voice vote.
Speaking with journalists thereafter, one of the opposition senators, Babafemi Ojudu (Ekiti Central), lambasted his PDP colleagues, accusing them of foisting on them and the entire nation the alleged impunity reigning in their party.
According to Ojudu, the PDP senators are crying foul after falling victims of their party’s impunity, threatening that if APC senators have their way, they will re-open the chamber today and carry on with their legislative assignment.
Further, Ojudu said legislation should be in the collective interest of the nation and not in some individuals’ selfish interests, adding: “Now, they have seen injustice, they are fighting. We have seen injustice for more than two and half years. We wanted to fight, our colleagues did not allow us to fight. Why must it be when it affects us that we act?” he queried.
Ojudu who alleged that PDP senators were denying the opposition of the opportunity to carry out their constitutional assignment, added: “People should have standards. Now that they have seen that a lot of them are no longer welcome back in their homes; now that they have realised that they have made themselves slaves to the executive, they are shouting. When you present yourself as a slave, definitely, you will be treated as a slave. That is the consequence of their actions over the years. But Nigeria voted them here to come and work. We must work... It is unfortunate that the 2015 budget will be affected but we are in the minority, we have our say but they have their way.” By Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

Why take your frustrations at the party level to the house level na