Date Published: 06/01/11

Speaker: PDP in a Quandary over Rebellious Reps …Set to dismantle Zoning Formula in the House …May pick Waziri-Tambuwai and Ihedioha as Speaker and Deputy

Goodluck Jonathan

Haliru Bello

There are strong indications that the battle between a large slice of People Democratic Party (PDP), members of the House of Representatives, and the top echelon of the party may be far from over.

While the party led by President Goodluck Jonathan wants the South West to produce the Speaker, as contained in the current arrangement, members of the PDP, mostly from the south east, and a handful from the north east and North West have vowed to throw spanner into the works.

The simple argument of the aggrieved PDP members is, why compensate the south west that failed at all levels, and dump the south east that delivered 100 per cent across board. Also they want to be allowed to pick their own leadership.

Pointblanknews.com also learnt that members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (AC N), are teaming up with the rebellious PDP members from the south east, north east and north west. The flank has also incorporated the Labor Party (LP)

They have vowed to shock the PDP top brass. As at press time Pointblanknews.com learnt that deputy whip, Aminu Waziri-Tambuwai from Sokoto, and Whip, Emeka Ihedioha, from Imo State, have been penciled down for the two top slots by their colleagues.

The PDP on Tuesday moved to neutralize efforts of House of Representatives members-elect and the opposition parties plotting against its power sharing arrangement.  

Pointblanknews.com learnt that the PDP leaders and President Jonathan’s Tuesday’s meeting with the party members-elect was part of efforts to tackle the anti-zoning lawmakers.

It was also gathered that the swift appointment of Senator Pius Anyim was “to pull rug out of anti-zoning elements’ feet.”

The new arrangement zoned Senate presidency to the North-Central; deputy Senate presidency, South-East; speakership of the House, South-West and deputy speakership, North-East.The PDP also zoned Secretary to the Government of the Federation and its chairmanship to South-East and North-East respectively.

But if the rebels have their way, the north west would get the speakership, with the deputy going to the south east.

The PDP has two candidates, Mrs. Mulikat Akande-Adeola and Mr. Muraina Ajibola have also emerged from the South-West. While Ajibola is believed to a stooge of Ex President Olusegun Obasanjo, Akande-Adeola is seen as a better, more independent, and candidate favored by the PDP top brass. The PDP caucus in the south west had endorsed Ajibola with apparent prompting from Obasanjo, but Akande-Adeola had been defiant , as she dismissed the endorsement.

A PDP member who spoke with Pointblanknews.com but refused to be named because of the sensitive nature of the issue said “ We will shock the PDP on the floor of the House. How can you insist the speaker come from the south west where the PDP failed. We should be allowed to pick our leaders. They took away the chairmanship from us, and gave us SGF. Why would you do that but fail to throw open or give the south east the speakership.?”

A member of the ACN’s National Executive Council, who pleaded anonymity, said, “We are going to do anything that will make the PDP’s zoning unworkable.

“Our aim is to ensure that our lawmakers pass laws on true federalism in the country.”

But the the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olusola Oke, maintained “The PDP zoning stands. We have not altered it and we have no intention to do so.”