PDP Intensifies Effort At Stopping House Of Reps From Impeaching Goodluck

Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are reaching out to House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal over New PDP members threat to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan, it was learnt yesterday.

PDP Chair Bamanga Tukur has scheduled a meeting with Tambuwal, who was once considered a “rebel” by the party after several claims that he was romancing the opposition.

The meeting is to discuss ways to appeal to the members of the New PDP over the threat.

The meeting, which was at the instance of the Chairman is scheduled for 3pm tomorrow at the National Assembly.

The meeting, according to a source, comes on the heels of the failure of the desperate appeal by the PDP leadership to persuade the Speaker to postpone the resumption date of the members from the annual recess which terminates tomorrow.

Though the agenda for the meeting, according to Tukur, is to present the members of the newly-elected National Working Committee to the PDP Caucus in the House, it was learnt that the aim is to appeal to the PDP members to embrace peace.

A source said the Speaker was opposed to the initial plan of presenting the newly elected NWC members to himself alone, and in the alternative offered a broader participation that would include other members of the PDP Caucus.

The source said: “The Speaker was being careful considering the tension over the fractionalisation of the PDP with the new faction attacking the old faction. If he agrees to meet with the NWC members alone, that would have put him squarely in the camp of the PDP with the attendance consequences from the new PDP members who have been screaming for the impeachment of President Goodluck Jonathan and a clean break from the Bamangar Tukur- led Party.

Another reason for the meeting is the belief that the there are moves by the new PDP to remove members of the leadership who belong to the PDP.

There were report that members of the New PDP would meet today meet today on how to reconstitute the leadership of the National Assembly, which is made up of PDP.

According to the source “we are meeting to primarily set a new agenda for the 7th Assembly using our large number which is hovering around 95 to 125 Reps and 55 Senators,” the source said, adding:

“We equally have the strong voices of 137 All Progressives Congress, APC, in the Green Chamber who have vowed to support our cause.

“if you add 137 to 95, we are clearly in the majority in the House of Reps and we will speak with one voice.

“This large figure of Reps will speak in one voice in all proceedings bordering on bills and motions.

“We will handle all matters as one large family to bring down those tyrants who are enemies of democracy in the old PDP.”