Rattled by the defection of five out of its seven
aggrieved governors to the All Progressives Congress on
Wednesday, the National Working Committee of the
Peoples Democratic Party has scheduled an emergency
meeting for next Monday.
Saturday PUNCH learnt in Abuja, on Thursday that the
party’s leadership at the meeting would determine the
fate of the rebel governors.
It was further gathered that the emergency meeting
would among other things, decide on what punitive
measures to be taken against the governors and
lawmakers, who are likely to join them.
Sources close to the party told our correspondents that
the party was afraid there could be mass defection of
the PDP National Assembly members to the APC.
Investigations also revealed that the National Working
Committee of the PDP at the meeting would discuss how
it would not lose its majority status in the National
Assembly to the APC.
It was learnt that the meeting was specifically put in
place to brainstorm on the movement of the governors
to the APC because the weekly NWC meeting
traditionally holds on Wednesdays.
One of our correspondents gathered that the leadership
of the PDP had been considering how to curtail the
movement of any lawmaker elected on the platform of
the party to the opposition.
A source in the party said, “We are going to consider all
the legal options before deciding on punitive measures
for the governors and lawmakers that defect to the APC.
“Nothing is on the table yet, but I can assure you that
the PDP will hit back. One of the punitive measures we
will consider is impeachment of the governors and how
feasible it is. By Monday, we will unfold our strategies.
Also, we must ensure that the PDP does not become a
minority party in the National Assembly.”
When contacted, the National Publicity secretary of the
PDP, Chief Olisah Metuh, confirmed to one of our
correspondents on the telephone on Thursday, that the
PDP was indeed planning to hold the meeting on
Monday.
He also said that the issue of the rebel governors would
form part of deliberations.
According to him, the meeting will, among other things,
discuss issues affecting the party in general and other
recent developments in the polity including the
defection of some of their governors.
Metuh, who also spoke on the issue of the threat by
some lawmakers to defect from the PDP, said that the
national leadership of the PDP had implicit confidence in
the leadership of both houses of the National Assembly
to maintain the party’s positions.
He said, “Well on the issue of Amaechi and the other
governors who have defected, there is an emergency
meeting of the NWC to discuss all matters on Monday.
“On the issue of the lawmakers, the leadership of the
two houses of the National Assembly are PDP members.
The leaders are capable and are loyal. We have
confidence in them. They have not shown any cause for
doubts. They are loyal party members who can be relied
upon at any time. All I can tell you is that we are going to
discuss all the issues.”
When contacted, the Kano State Governor, Dr. Rabiu
Kwankwaso said he was not bothered about his position
as governor.
This, he said, was because the struggle he and his
colleagues were involved in was a struggle to salvage
democracy and not about any individual.
Kwankwaso spoke to Saturday PUNCH through his
Director of Press and Public Relations, Baba Dantiye, via
telephone on Thursday.
He said, “Let’s wait and see what happens on Sunday
(after the meeting with the President). It’s not a matter
of seat; it’s the issue of rescuing democracy and the
nation.”
Saturday PUNCH also tried to find out if the deputy
governors of the affected states would also defect to
APC, but most of them could not be reached for
comments.
Although the Deputy Governor of Kano State, Alhaji
Umar Ganduje could not be reached for comments, a
source close to him confided in one of our
correspondents that he had implicit confidence in the
governor.
The source said, “You know His Excellency, the Deputy
Governor is a close confidant of the governor. Politically
they have been on the same page and will continue to
be.”
The Spokesperson of the Kwara State Governor, Dr.
Muyideen Akorede, in a telephone interview with our
correspondent on Thursday declined to respond to the
question on whether the Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah
Ahmed, would be willing to vacate his office as a result
of his defection to the APC.
He said Ahmed was not in town, adding that he was the
only person who could respond to such an issue.
“We have no response to the question. The governor is
not in town. He is the only person that can respond to
such a question,” Akorede said.
Meanwhile, a former governor of Kano State, Malam
Ibrahim Shekarau, has said that he is ready to work with
anybody in the state because politics is about people.
The clarification became necessary as the APC in its
power sharing deal on Thursday said the defected
governors would be in charge of party machineries in
their states.
Shekarau who spoke through his Director of Press and
Public Relations, Sule Ya’u Sule said, Malam Ibrahim
Shekarau, welcomes everyone into the APC family,
politics is about people.
“The only thing is that, no member of the party should
be treated like a second class citizen. There should be
justice and fairness to all.’’


Source: www.punchng.com/news/defection-pdp-plans-punishment-for-rebel-govs-lawmakers/

PDP political strategists r dummy. Wat ve u been thinking since. Na today u r already minority. By now u should think how to remove Tukur and the political adviser to d president for their failure to see d future....been living in d past