Defection: PDP promises lawmakers automatic tickets

FROM TAIWO AMODU, ABUJA
As part of desperate measures to placate federal lawmakers on its platform not to defect to the opposition All Progressives Congress, (APC) the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has assured its members in the House of Representatives of automatic tickets ahead of 2015 general elections.
This was part of the deal sealed with lawmakers by the Bamanga Tukur-led national working committee on Thursday night at a meeting held at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
The meeting, which was presided over by Tukur with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and some principal officers moderating, started at about 8 pm and was concluded at about 12 am yesterday.
Thirty-seven federal lawmakers on PDP platform had on Wednesday dumped the party on the floor of the Green Chamber and joined the APC.
Jolted by the decision, the party in anger had called on the leadership of the House to declare the seats of the defectors vacant.
But Saturday Sun checks revealed that Tukur, who had earlier threatened to deal with the lawmakers fraternising with the APC, was taken aback by startling revelations presented to him at an earlier meeting he held with PDP governors at the Akwa-Ibom State governor’s lodge, Asokoro, Abuja that more of the lawmakers would soon take similar action in the next few weeks.
In attendance at the meeting at Akwa-Ibom lodge were Bamanga Tukur, his deputy, Uche Secondus, national organising secretary of the party, Abubakar Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, some serving ministers and about 14 governors.
Tukur and Hon. Aminu Tambuwal left the venue of the meeting with governors, at about 7.45 pm separately to join the lawmakers who were already waiting at Transcorp Hilton.
A Saturday Sun source disclosed that the PDP national chairman appealed to the lawmakers not to dump the party and sought their cooperation in saving the party from an imminent doom with the gale of defection to the APC.”
His appeal to their emotions fell on deaf ears, until the intervention of the chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum and Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Barrister Godswill Akpabio in company with four of his colleagues when the deal of automatic tickets was discussed.”
Saturday Sun sighted the Akwa -Ibom governor, Godswill Akpabio about 40 minutes to the end of the meeting on Friday morning in company with Ibrahim Shema, Isa Yuguda, Seriake Dickson and Liyel Imoke, governors of Katsina, Bauchi, Bayelsa and Cross Rivers states, respectively.
An elated Tukur told newsmen at the end of the meeting that the discussion was fruitful as he further claimed that peace has returned to the party.” I feel great because we spoke as one family; we resolved to work together as one family. The atmosphere of peace is already pervading our party.