President Goodluck Jonathan and leaders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have resolved to grant automatic tickets to at least two serving senators from each of the states of the federation where it has senators to douse the growing tension in the Senate over 2015 elections.
Senator Smart Adeyemi and 39 other senators are to benefit from this decision, it was learnt last night.
The meeting, involving President Jonathan, the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, and the senators elected on the party’s platform, was originally fixed for Wednesday night, but it could not hold because the president returned late from his trip to Burkina Faso. Sources said that the meeting, which started at about 8.00 p.m., lasted till the early hours of Friday with resolution of issues on a state-by-state basis. It was confirmed that at least two senators from each state would be allowed to return in 2015.
The source said further that the president had directed the party’s chairman and the Senate President, David Mark, to see to the implementation of the decision.
According to a lawmaker from the North-West, the meeting resolved rifts in states, including Abia, Bauchi, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Plateau, Niger, Kogi, Benue, Cross River, Taraba, Delta, Bayelsa, Enugu and Adamawa. Sources also said that issues in Edo, Ondo and Oyo states were resolved at the meeting.
It was also confirmed that in Kogi State, the meeting adopted Senators Smart Adeyemi and Atai Aidoko for a return to the Senate, while more discussions are to be held with Governor Idris Wada on the fate of the third senator, Nurudeen Abatemi.
With the development, at least 40 PDP senators may return to the Senate by the end of 2015 elections.
