Presidency anoint Mark, deputy’s return September 21, 2014 By Celestine Okafor Politics Editor, Abuja David Mark In what is bound to make the 2015 general elections more interesting but a fierce battle, facts have emerged on how the Presidency and the apex leadership of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), secretly endorsed the aspiration of the Senate President, David Mark, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu and the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, to return to the Senate in June 2015, Sunday Independent can authoritatively reveal. Mark is facing the battle of his life as Chief Mike Onoja is bent on scuttling his return journey, just as the tacit endorsement of John Enoh-Owan, a member of the House of Representatives for the Senate Leader’s Cross River Central seat, by Governor Liyel Imoke, remains a nightmare for the Senior Advocate of Nigeria. As icing on the cake, the three Senate leaders (Mark, Ekweremadu and Ndoma-Egba) have also been tipped to retain their current positions in the National Assembly, when the eighth Senate will be constituted in June next year after the 2015 general elections. Sunday Independent reliably gathered from a privileged source within the leadership of the PDP’s National Secretariat in Abuja, that the approval and support given to the Senatorial re-election bid of the three lawmakers, was without prejudice to other party members who may wish to contest against them at the Senate party primaries scheduled for November 22nd this year. Our correspondent also learnt that anointing the three legislators followed their having lived up to “the expectations of the party and the Nigerian electorates” so far in the discharge of their official functions. Another informed source at the Presidential Villa who was privy to this clandestine arrangement and who corroborated our PDP source, however revealed on Friday, that the resolve by the PDP regarding the political future of Mark, Ekweremadu and Ndoma-Egba, had the tacit support and understanding of the Presidency, which the source said “believes that the Senators have done well in helping this government led by President Goodluck Jonathan to stabilize the country” in the past three and half years. Our Presidency source added that the secret endorsement of the key Senate leadership was reached recently and that it was also part of the understanding reached at the “ inner caucus level “of the party early last week before the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting when the PDP leaders were “putting finishing touches” to plans to also endorse President Goodluck Jonathan as the sole choice of the party for the 2015 Presidential election slated for February 14, next year. Said the PDP source who craved anonymity: “The PDP inner decision makers which include the Presidency discussed the issue of President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election and it was unanimously agreed that Mr President should continue, (and) should be supported by the party, because he has done well. Members also believe that the President has a lot of unfinished jobs at hand which would require his continuity. This endorsement is in consideration of the fact that in a Presidential democracy, a sitting President enjoys the right of first refusal. “It is done in America. President Barrack Obama also enjoyed this Presidential privilege when he went for a second term. It is normal. So the PDP has not done anything unusual for those who are raising eyebrows. But that does not mean that anybody in our membership who decides tomorrow to contest against the President will be stopped by the party. No! PDP as a democratic party will not do that. We will respect the individual rights of every party member at all times, but what is important is that a majority of the party members through our appropriate party constitutional organ, have said that this is the direction the party will go. As a political party, we are backing the President based on the criteria we have considered and based on the priviledge he enjoys as an incumbent President,” the source added. Continuing, he said: “In the case of the Senate leaders, it is not something we have made official. We are a bit discreet about it. But the fact remains that the party and the presidency are happy with them and are supporting them. The Senate President, David Mark, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu and the Leader of the Senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba particularly, have met the expectations of the party and that of the people of Nigeria in the way and manner they have ran the affairs of the Senate. “You don’t change a winning team for the sake of change. Everybody in this country knows that these three people and their colleagues, have helped the government of the PDP to keep this country stable. If you recall, the Senate leadership under David Mark, has successfully played numerous key intervention roles at very critical moments of this country. Do we talk about the mediation in the nationwide protest over the fuel price increase of January 2012; the ASUU and the recent Doctor’s strike actions; the insurgency war still on-going? There are so many of these interventions apart from the ones the Senate did at the legislative level. “So, all these things were taken into consideration before it was resolved in-house, that they should be supported in the coming election. But it is important to also say here, that the PDP has not foreclosed the ambition of other prospective aspirants on the platform of the party who wants to try their luck at the primaries against David Mark and co. This is a democracy and PDP as a democratic party, will always give equal opportunities to all its members. We can only support anybody who has done so well to the people’s expectations at the party level, but the ultimate decision lies with the Nigerian voters who will decide on election day, who, between these people and others, they want”, the source maintained. Meanwhile, reactions have trailed the alleged endorsement of the trio who currently represents Benue South, Enugu West and Cross-River Central Senatorial districts on the platform of the PDP in the Senate. Most Senators who bared their minds on the issue at the weekend in separate chats with Sunday Independent, unanimously agreed on the return of their leaders to their positions in 2015. They argued that the Senate’s top notch, have reasonably demonstrated fairness, mature leadership and have equally achieved relative cordiality among Senators of all political divides, especially in the current seventh Senate. Mathew Ifeanyi Nwagwu (PDP, Imo North), chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, for example, prayed that the trio “come back to the Senate next year. But l can assure you that l don’t see any reason why any Senator here, whether of the PDP or APC or any other party, will not support 100 per cent, Mark, and the other members of his leadership to retain their positions. “As you can see, since they came here, they have worked very hard to maintain a cordial working relationship with the Senators. They have piloted the affairs of the Senate well and have tried to sustain a balance in the various developments efforts in the nation’s polity. You can see the several roles the Senate has played to stabilize this country at different times since we came to the legislature. It is not something any one should underrate or ignore. Therefore, if they come back as well as those of us who may be lucky to come back, l will certainly support their return to their present positions. Many of us Senators will whole-heartedly support them without any reservation”, Nwagwu assured. Reacting, another Senator on the platform of the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) who asked not to be named said: “Well, as an opposition member, it does not matter to me who the PDP endorses or rejects. The Nigerian people have always known the PDP as a party that endorses anything to suit their particular interest. I care less about their internal affairs. But speaking as a serving member of this seventh Senate, Senator David Mark’s leadership in the Senate has been fairly commendable. “His deputy, Ike Ekweremadu who is a bright young man and the majority leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, have been very supportive of the Senate President. Those of us on the other side in that Senate, are quite pleased with Mark’s leadership but that does not mean that we don’t want an APC Senate President in the saddle. For me as a person, if they are voted to come back to the Senate and PDP still retains majority, l have nothing against their return to their present positions if that is the wishes of majority Senators who will be in the Senate by then”, the APC lawmaker stated.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 21:19:28 +0000
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