Automatic ticket: PDP leadership, National Assembly aspirants’ meeting deadlocked

THE reconciliation meeting called by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the crisis generated by the plan to grant automatic ticket to the members of the national assembly from the state on Tuesday ended in deadlock.

The meeting held at the private residence of the National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, could not resolve the matter as the aspirants to the seats were said to have rejected the move.

Sources at the meeting said deliberations at the meeting was tense that the senator representing Kogi west senatorial district, Dino Melaye and the member representing Yagba federal constituency, Sunday Karimi, engaged in shouting match over the issue.

Karimi was said to have accused Melaye of attempting to destroy the party with the idea of the automatic ticket.

Apart from this, the senator representing Kofi east senatorial district, Atai Aidoko and the member representing Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency, Tajudeen Yusuf, also engaged in a heated argument with the intervention of the national chairman restoring sanity.

The national leadership of the party was said to have agreed to offer the national assembly members and those that recently defected to the party automatic tickets.

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But the National Assembly aspirants from having a strong worded petition threatened to leave the PDP if the national executive committee goes ahead with its plan over the automatic ticket.

The people said the only option available for peace and justice in the party was the conduct of transparent primary elections.

But the meeting, which was at the instance of the National Executives of the PDP ended without a compromise, as the aspirants all stood their grounds and warned that they would leave the party if such action is implemented.

While the National Executive of the PDP insisted that the plan to grant automatic ticket to the returning members was based on the signed MoU between the PDP and the rAPC, the aspirants argued that it would amount to impunity as many of the national assembly members were not on the ground politically in their districts.

Those in attendance of the meeting according to sources were the National Secretary, National Organizing Secretary and the National Publicity Secretary of the party who is an indigene of the state and about thirty aspirants all seeking office to the lower and upper chambers of the National Assembly.

Also in attendance was a former governor of the state and a leader of the party, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris.

Some of the Aspirants at the meeting include: Sen. Ahmed Ogembe, Dino Melaye, Aidoko, Sunday Karimi, T.J. Yusuf, Emma Egwu, Hassan Omale, Clarence Olafemi, Halima Alfa, T. J. Faniyi, Salaudeen Ganiyu, amongst several others.

The meeting was said to have adjourned abruptly for the aspirants to go and reconsider their stand and align with the stand of the party.

However, after an emergency meeting amongst the aspirants, they all insisted on a level playing field for the party’s primaries or else they would be on their way out of the PDP.

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