The meeting called by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, to settle the rift in the Kogi State Chapter of the party over plans to grant automatic ticket to some National Assembly Members has ended in a deadlock.
The meeting which took place at the private residence of the National Chairman in Abuja on Tuesday also had Hon. Sunday Karimi engaged in a shouting match with Sen. Dino Melaye, with the former accusing the latter of attempt to destroy the party in the state.
The source said that it took the intervention of the National Chairman, else the shouting match between Hon. T. J Yusuf and Sen. Aidoko would have led to broken of limbs, as tempers rose beyond the control of the leader of the party in the state, Alh. Ibrahim Idris.
It would be recalled that the National Assembly Aspirants from Kogi State have in a strong worded petition threatened to leave the PDP if the national executive members go ahead with its plan to offer automatic ticket to the present National Assembly Members who are members of the party or who recently returned, insisting on a level playing field in scheduled party primaries.
The meeting today which was at the instance of the National Executives of the PDP ended without a compromise, as the aspirants all stood their grounds, warning that they would be on their way out of the party if such action scales through.
While the National Executive of the PDP is insisting 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 insisted that it would amount to impunity as many of the National Assembly Members were not on the ground politically in their districts.
The meeting was attended by 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 offices to the lower and upper chambers of the National Assembly, with Alh. Ibrahim Idris, former governor and leader of the party in the state also in attendance.
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 source added the meeting was adjoined abruptly for the aspirants to go and reconsider their stand, a decision which after an emergency meeting amongst the aspirants, all still stood their ground, holding on to their guns, insisting only on a level playing field for the party’s primaries, else they would be on their way out of the PDP.
Part of the arrangements by the National Executive of the PDP is for all the Senators, and House of Representative Members serving from the state to be given automatic ticket, a decision that all the House of Representatives members from the Western Senatorial District are opposed to, insisting on a party primaries that would allow the people decide who represent them in 2019.
