Mark
THE faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, known as the New PDP, has accused the Presidency of plotting to remove Senate President David Mark and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal. The allegation, which was dismissed by the Presidency as a product of mischief makers, was made hours after The PUNCH had gathered that
PDP members in the House loyal to the Bamanga Tukur faction had set up a “strategy group” to watch Tambuwal. The New PDP claimed that the plot to sack Mark and the Speaker was over the visit of its National Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje and seven aggrieved PDP governors to the National Assembly on Tuesday.
It said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary , Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, on Thursday, that those behind the scheme must have a rethink. The statement reads in part, “To us, this plot by the hawks in the Presidency is politics taken too far and it illustrates the extent to which they are prepared to go in their determination to plunge this country into chaos.
“We wish to warn those who are planning this ‘coup’ to desist forthwith as such a misadventure is capable of plunging this nation into a crisis of monumental proportion .
“These undemocratic elements should stop overheating the polity just because of their selfish ambitions.” The faction warned that those who felt that politics was better practised by way of threats and the unseating of those who did not share their “unprogressive” thoughts should know “that there is a limit to how far they can push us.”
It added that Mark and Tambuwal had brought in a unique style of leadership which had resulted in sanity, brotherhood and unity being witnessed in the National Assembly.
The New PDP however said the removal of Mark and Tambuwal would be impossible because its members in the National Assembly were in the majority.
It therefore advised the leadership of the National Assembly not to lose sleep over the alleged plot.
The group added that the “well-intentioned visit” was part of the nation-wide consultations by its members in their efforts to correct “the evils being perpetrated by the undemocratic leadership of Alhaji Tukur and his cohorts.”
It said, “The aim was to brief and discuss with members of the National Assembly, in view of their position as leaders of the party, on how to reposition our great party to be united and face other parties by 2015. “Any other motive imputed to the visit is not only mischievous but also a product of the devilish imaginations of those reaching such conclusions.”
But the Presidency dismissed the allegation, saying that it was an attempt by “mischief-makers to overheat the polity.” Investigations in Abuja showed that a group was monitoring the speaker to find out whether he had aligned with the 57 New PDP members in the House. The group, said to be headed by a senior lawmaker from the South, had held a couple of meetings lately. Findings indicated that such meetings discussed a series of issues concerning the recent developments in the PDP.
The Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emodi, in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Thursday, said those alleging a plot against Mark and Tambuwal were only bent on overheating the polity. She said there was no such move because Jonathan had enormous respect for members of the National Assembly as well as their leadership.
Emodi said, “The President is one president that has refused to interfere in the activities of the National Assembly. There will be no way he will be involved in such a thing. “This is an attempt by mischief makers who are bent on overheating the polity by flying kites of imminent crisis in the National Assembly. I want to state categorically that such only exist in the minds of the peddlers.”
..................Punch
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