The Punch Newspapers writes
This offer, among others, has become necessary
to scuttle the planned mass defection of the legislators, which has been slated
for the floor of the National Assembly on Thursday,
Investigations by our correspondents on
Saturday showed that aggrieved APC senators and members of the House of
Representatives were determined to formally announce their defection before the
National Assembly goes on its eight-week recess on Thursday.
It was gathered that the lawmakers would like
to take a final decision on their continued membership of the APC this week to
be sure of the platform on which they would contest the 2019 elections.
Primaries of most of the political parties
will hold between August and September, a period the National Assembly may
still be on vacation.
It was learnt that the only thing that could
prevent the defection of the lawmakers was the ongoing negotiation between the
APC and the leadership of the Reformed APC.
It was also gathered that the aggrieved
lawmakers in the R-APC would hold a make-or-break meeting with their leaders on
Tuesday where a final decision on the planned defection would be taken.
A senator, who spoke on condition of anonymity
for fear of identification, said the proposed mass defection from the APC at
the National Assembly was scheduled for the last day of the session to manage
the tension that would likely follow the announcement.
He said what could stop the mass defection on
Thursday was the automatic ticket the APC was offering the lawmakers. The
lawmakers, it was gathered, had insisted that the APC must put the offer in
writing.
Asked to confirm the Thursday declaration of
the defection, the senator said, “It is true. It is most likely on Thursday,
but I can assure you that if the APC gives Saraki and the rest of us letters
(on automatic tickets), that is all (about the planned defection).”
R-APC lawmakers meet
faction’s leaders on Tuesday
Also, in the House of Representatives,
investigations showed that members were waiting for the outcome of the ongoing
negotiations between the leadership of the R-APC and the APC National Working
Committee before taking a final decision on whether to defect on Thursday or
not.
It was gathered that one of the issues on
offer was the automatic tickets for the lawmakers in the 2019 elections.
One of the members said, “Nothing has been
concretised, but I will say there have been talks, including the offer of
automatic tickets.”
Another member confided in SUNDAY
PUNCH that the R-APC lawmakers were expecting to be briefed on Tuesday
by their leaders to decide on the way forward.
“Our plan to defect has not changed. But our
leaders are in talks with them (APC) and we are patiently waiting.”
We have not shelved
defection plan – Atunwa
But a key member of the factional group and
Chairman, House Committee on Justice, Mr. Razak Atunwa, told SUNDAY
PUNCH on Saturday that members were ready to accept any offer that
would ensure “justice for all at the end of the day.”
Atunwa, like others, confirmed that the group
had not shelved the defection plan, but admitted that members were also ready
to accept offers that would treat all parties
The lawmaker from Kwara and an ally of Senate
President Bukola Saraki, added, “In politics, you never say never. I am aware
that a lot of negotiations have been going on.
“Right now, there is no justice. If it (offer)
doesn’t lead to justice, we will go ahead and do what is okay for us in the
week.”
Automatic tickets:
Legislators demand written agreement
In the meantime, it was learnt that the
aggrieved lawmakers were ready to accept the automatic ticket offer from the
APC to remain in the party.
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered
that the lawmakers, led by President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, and the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, had given a condition
to the leadership of the APC.
The condition, according to the aggrieved
lawmakers, who spoke to one of our correspondents, is that the offer must be
put in writing.
One of the lawmakers, who spoke on condition
of anonymity, disclosed that Saraki and Dogara had insisted on a written
agreement to retain their leadership of the National Assembly as there were
forces in the APC, who worked against their emergence as Senate President and
Speaker, respectively.
The source said, “They want to give us
automatic tickets. The return ticket is for everybody and there are those who
are giving it a thought. They are making an offer to all of us but it all
depends on what we finally agree with them.
“If the offer being made will be written, we
are going to take it. It has to be written. If it is not going to be written,
nobody is going to take that risk (of believing the party). It must come
through a letter. If they could write that they are giving us automatic
tickets, I believe that many will not defect, but if they refuse, certainly,
they would be on their own.”
The lawmaker further disclosed that his
colleagues, particularly senators, were considering either the Peoples
Democratic Party or the African Democratic Congress, a coalition led by former
President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He stated, “If it is not PDP, it is ADC. Right
now, about three senators have moved to the ADC – two from Oyo State and
Senator Abdul-Azeez Murtala-Nyako from Adamawa State. If they give us a written
agreement, personally, I will not defect, but it must be in writing.”
The lawmaker stated that the condition became
necessary as most of the APC governors were not happy with the National
Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, for making the offer.
The lawmaker noted that some outgoing APC
governors had planned to contest the seats currently occupied by some senators
from their respective states.
He also said some of the governors were bent
on imposing their successors on the APC and blocking senators who wanted to get
the governorship tickets ahead of the 2019 elections.
Negotiation ongoing, says
APC
When contacted on Saturday the National
Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said he was not aware
of the automatic ticket
He said, “I do know there are ongoing meetings
but I am not aware if anyone is offering anything and what offers are being
made. I honestly don’t know.”
No offer can appease
Saraki’s embarrassment – Baraje
Meanwhile, the leader of the defunct new PDP,
Alhaji Kawu Baraje, said there was no offer from President Muhammadu Buhari to
Saraki that could atone for what he called the embarrassment Saraki allegedly
suffered in the last three years.
In an interview with one of our correspondents
in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Saturday, Baraje stated that though
Saraki was an experienced politician, his loyalists and supporters in Kwara
State had taken a decision that with or without Saraki, they no longer wanted
to continue being members of the APC.
Baraje said, “I am not concerned with the
offer reportedly made by the Presidency to the Senate President. I do not see
how that concerns me. As far as I am concerned and as far as our supporters and
followers are concerned, they have taken a decision.
“If the Senate President is going to waiver,
all well and good. The followers have indicated that with or without him, they
are going out of APC. So, it is left for him to take a decision.
“As far as I know, there is no recent decision
that can replace the kind of embarrassment, debasement and horrifying
experiences that the Senate President has gone through in the past. It is
unfortunate.”
Also, the R-APC expressed confidence that
attempts by the Buhari-led administration to use the “carrot and stick”
approach to break its ranks would fail.
The National Publicity Secretary of the R-APC,
Kassim Afegbua, in a telephone interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, in
Abuja, on Saturday, said the R-APC was committed to the Memorandum of
Understanding it signed with other opposition parties.
He added that “no amount of carrots” dangled
by the Buhari-led administration would derail the process.
Speaking about offers allegedly made by the
President to Saraki, Afegbua urged the Senate President not to fall for what he
described as a booby trap.
Afegbua said, “Why does the President now feel
it is important to play politics? Since when did he begin to consider Saraki as
important? Where was he when Saraki was being humiliated?
“Does he now think that by taking such a man
into the inner sanctuary of Aso Rock, he has done a great thing?
“There is no sincerity of purpose; he is just
running around because he is desperate to return to power so that when he wins
the election, he will now come out in full force to deal with his perceived
enemies. Such a man cannot be trusted
I’m devastated by the scale of losses,
Buhari tells victims of Jos market
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday consoled
victims of the Jos market fire which destroyed more than 200 shops.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant
on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President said he was devastated by
the scale of economic losses suffered by hard-working and ordinary Nigerians
who believe in self-reliance to support themselves.
“Trading and agriculture remain the mainstay
of these hardworking businessmen and women and every democratic leader would
genuinely feel the pains of the victims of this fire disaster.
“With profound sense of empathy, I am touched
by the large-scale economic losses suffered by the victims of this fire
disaster. The role of these enterprising Nigerians in the economy of our
country cannot be underestimated,” the President said.
Buhari said he was worried that the latest
fire disaster at the Jos market was the third in less than 10 years.
“As you count your losses, I send you my
heartfelt commiserations over this devastating disaster. I am confident that
your enterprising spirit would help you rebuild your lives. May God replenish
you with more prosperity,” he said.
The President also appealed to the local
authorities concerned to take every necessary measure to forestall frequent
fire incidents.
He said the incidents were taking a heavy toll
on people’s means of livelihood and the intervention of all three tiers of
government would go a long way to alleviating the hardships.
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