For the second time in week, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will today meet with members-elect of the House of Representatives on the party’s position that the Speaker should emerge from the Southwest.
The party is also working on Plan B to prevail on the members-elect to jettison the amendment to the Voting System before the election of a new Speaker on June 6.
Six candidates are jostling to be Speaker.
They are Aminu Tambuwal (North-West); Muraina Saubana Ajibola; Mrs. Mulikat Adeola-Akande; Emeka Ihedioha; Eziuche Ubani; and Bethel Amadi.
By the party’s zoning formula, it ought to be a straight fight between Ajibola and Adeola-Akande from the Southwest.
But Reps-elect from the North, especially the North-West, are teaming up with their colleagues from the Southeast to alter the zoning formula.
The party is however insisting on the retention of the zoning formula which favours the emergence of the Speaker from the Southwest.
Most Reps-elect from the Northwest and the Southeast are still adamant.
Investigation by our correspondent showed that some leaders of the PDP are expected to meet with Reps-elect in Abuja today on the position of the party which borders on the concession of the choice of new Speaker to the Southwest.
The party leadership last Wednesday met with Reps-elect, but most of them were adamant.
Some PDP leaders at the last meeting were a former Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih and the acting National Chairman of the party, Dr. Mohammed Haliru Bello.
The meeting left Reps-elect divided along pro-Southwest and anti-Southwest.
A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: "We are meeting with these Reps-elect again on Tuesday as part of a fence-mending mission to allow them to appreciate the position of the party.
"We have noticed that their ranks have been infiltrated by some influential PDP leaders who are opposed to Jonathan.
In the face of the rejection of the olive branch of the party, there were indications that the PDP has a Plan B to prevail on the members-elect to jettison the amendment to the Voting System before the election of a new Speaker on June 6.
"The party will insist on the reversal of the Open-Secret Voting System recently put in place by the House.
"I can tell you that the amendment carried out by the House will never stand," a member of the National Working Committee of the party said.
Chairman of the Justice Committee of the House, Seriake Dickson, who is an ally of the President and one of the coordinators of the pro-Southwest project, said: "The so-called amendment is untenable and inoperable. By parliamentary standard worldwide, parliamentarians do not vote in secret."

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