MEMBERS of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the National Assembly engaged in verbal war on Tuesday, no thanks to the visit of the National Chairman of the ‘New PDP’, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje.
The crisis started when the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, informed the lawmakers that Baraje and some governors would visit the complex.
Some of the lawmakers loyal to the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur faction of the party protested and the shouting match lasted for more than 25 minutes.
When normalcy was eventually restored, Tambuwal informed the House that both Baraje and Tukur had written letters, informing the leadership of their plan to visit the lawmakers “but I was surprised when I was told that Alhaji Tukur had withdrawn his letter”.
“I think I need to make two points clear. One, there was a communication from our leader, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur on the same issue; he wanted to come and address the PDP caucus. Now, Tukur withdrew his letter only this morning and I couldn’t have read his letter having withdrawn it. The whole thing is, we are not going to receive them on the floor. He (Baraje) will address us at 3p.m. in Room 028 New Building.
Another round of crisis started in Room 028.
Baraje and other principal officers were waiting when Baraje arrived at 3.45p.m. with the G-7 governors and others.
The governors are Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Mua’zu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Sule Lamido (Jigawa).
As Tambuwal was receiving them, some Tukur loyalists such as Patrick Asadu, Bethel Amadi, Samson Okwu, Kingsley Chinda, Tijani Yusuf started protesting.
Some of them were shouting: “Bamanga Tukur is the leader we recognise”.
They were roughhandled by some Baraje loyalists and it took the intervention of other lawmakers to separate the combatants.
The pro-Tukur lawmakers eventually left the room and the House Leader, Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, prayed that the visit would serve as the beginning of the resolution of the PDP crisis.
Tambuwal, in his reaction, cautioned politicians to shun comments capable of heating the polity.
“We must abstain from making comments capable of heating the polity unnecessarily. I want to caution that Nigerians need peaceful atmosphere to conduct their businesses,” he said.
He also enjoined politicians to place national interest above personal interest.
“Let us, therefore, make conscious effort to allow national interest take the driving seat and not our personal ambitions”.
According to him, members of the House are concerned about the development in the country, especially the face-off within the PDP.
He noted that the development had exposed the status of culture of intra-party democracy and inter-party intolerance.
The speaker said that democracy could only flourish where there were strong political parties and well developed institutions and an enduring democratic culture.
“We must all conduct ourselves strictly within the confines of the 1999 Constitution.
Leader of the New PDP House Caucus, Andrew Uchendu, said the pro-Tukur lawmakers are enemies of the party.
Meanwhile, Senate President, David Mark, on Tuesday said the National Assembly has no intention of declaring any member’s seat vacant on account of the ongoing crisis in the PDP.
Mark stated this in Abuja when Baraje led a PDP delegation to visit him.
The Senate President told his visitors that, “Even, if you have a knife in my head, I will stand for justice, fairness and equity”.
He urged them to come together and uphold a strong and united party.
He said he would remain in the PDP and would not live to see a fallen party just as he pleaded with party faithful not to abandon the ship.
“We are stronger and better as one big, strong and united party. We need to work together and make our democracy sustainable,” Mark told his guests.
He advised them to be honest, objective and upright in making their grievances known to the leaders of the party.
He said no member of the party stands to gain anything in an atmosphere of rancour and counselled them to lay the cards on the table honestly and objectively.
Earlier, Baraje, who spoke on behalf of the party leaders, thanked Mark for his leadership style.
He demanded among other things, the recall of Amaechi from suspension and his recognition as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).
Baraje said: “We also demanded the reversal of the dissolution of the party executives in Rivers and Adamawa states.”
