Culled from the gaurdian newspaper
Monday, February 19, 2007 From Alifa Daniel, Asst. Political Editor, Abuja

PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) senators yesterday entered a second meeting with President Olusegun Obasanjo in 72 hours to push "for the return of the tickets" to aggrieved lawmakers.

The Guardian also learnt last night that some lawmakers have begun circulating a document to get the signature of their colleagues to make October 1, 2007 the date for handover of power to an elected president instead of May 29.

Other crucial matters on the state of the nation and the dwindling chances of the party were expected to be revisited after last Friday's meeting ended on an inconclusive note.

Senators led by Senate President Ken Nnamani were said to have frowned at the alleged favouritism showed some political office holders and aspirants whose names "mysteriously" disappeared from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) list of "indicted" politicians.

Two names, that of a state governor from the South-East and deputy governorship candidate, were said to have been named as those who should have faced the Administrative Panel of Enquiry which submitted its report last week.

A senator, who was not at Friday's meeting, and who also boycotted last night's parley, said he was sure no one would bring up the issue of October 1 as handover date, but confirmed that "some rascals in the House of Representatives were passing around papers soliciting signatures last week, saying May 29 is not sacrosanct."

Nnamani and other senators were said to have pointed out last Friday that the chances of the PDP were getting slimmer with the high turnover of disgruntled members allegedly short-changed by the party.

One said last night: "It is about survival, so there is going to be a lot of horse-trading at the meeting we are going for."

It was learnt that last night's meeting was to get the input of the PDP's National Chairman, Ahmadu Ali and the head of its Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, who were out of town and the President wanted them to be around for fine-tuning of "mutually beneficial areas."

Senators who spoke on the alleged plot to move the handover date were sure it would not succeed because the Constitution had to be amended, but others noted that with the game of survival on, anything "could be cooked up by colleagues."

The end is near