Automatic Ticket? PDP, Party Reps Meets

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday met with its members in the House of Representatives to deliberate on the demand for automatic tickets by the lawmakers.

The party, therefore, raised a committee to look into the issue of automatic tickets and other issues being canvassed by the party members in the House.

Most of the PDP members in the House started arriving at the premises of the PDP national headquarters at about 8pm while the meeting commenced at about 9:09pm shortly after the arrival of the party national chairman, Dr. Adamu Mu’azu.

But Mu’azu came out of the meeting at about 9:20pm and told journalists, when asked, that “the meeting is going on fine”.

He, however, declined to answer questions on the alleged demand of the party members in the House for automatic tickets for them; he simply laughed and walked away.

The meeting, however, continued after he left the party premises and was presided over by his deputy, Uche Secondus.

But briefing journalists after the meeting which ended at about 10:10pm, the national publicity secretary of PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the issue of automatic tickets was deliberated upon, and that a committee would be set up to address the issue.

He also claimed that the defection of the speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal was not discussed at all.

Metuh said, “We discussed matters of mutual interest for the progress of the PDP. We are happy with the commitment of the members of the PDP in the House. But I need to mention that it was not only the PDP members that were here. Members of the Labour Party (LP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) were here. These are people that are committed to the progress of the country.

“Party members raised issues of automatic ticket, protection and their own interest and party protecting them for their own interest. Some of them have raised such issues people will have to talk about their own interest. They have to talk about how we will help them.”

Commenting on Tambuwal’s defection, Metuh said, “Our discussion is strictly private. It has to do with the position that we are exchanging in furtherance of party interest. But I don’t know why you have to think that we had to discuss the matter of the speaker. This is not the first time we are having such a meeting. I cannot confirm that we discussed such a matter.”

When pressed further over the speaker’s issue, Metuh said, “Let me tell you strictly. I will never make a comment that is false, instead I will not discuss it. The topical issue about the seat of Tambuwal or when they will reconvene did not come up for discussion at this meeting.”

Read more: http://leadership.ng/news/389198/pdp-party-reps-meet-automatic-ticket