Remaining PDP Senators And House Of Reps Members Demand Automatic Tickets For 2015 Race

The Speaker of the House and some members last night

Following the threat of defection by 11 senators to the All Progressive Congress, 11 PDP governors attend a meeting Tuesday night with the leadership and 130 members of the caucus in the House of Representatives at the National Assembly in Abuja.

House of Representative Leader, Mulikat Akande Adeola told the National Chairman that members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not defect to the opposition party Alliance for Progressives Change (APC) if they were given automatic tickets for the 2015 election race.

Automatic tickets are distributed to party favorites who represent the party well and are popular with their constituents.  If Senators are successful in their blackmail threat they would not have to compete during election primaries, and avoid having to confront questions on their record from their constituents.  

House of Representative Leader, Adeola said this was the first time in the 7th Assembly that the PDP Chairman and Governors would be meeting with the members. She asked members of the party to be steadfast and show more commitment in moving the party forward.                                                  

PDP National Chairman Muazu responded, "There will be a regular meetings between the House caucus and party from this moment onward ".                    

Muazu said the lack of adequate communication and linkages between the House caucus and the party led to the defection crisis. He promised the house caucus would deal with the question of the automatic ticket.

The meeting was attended by 11 Governors: Akway Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio; Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji; Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi; Ondo State Olusegun Mimiko; Delta State Governor Emmanuel Udughan; Kaduna State Governor, Ramalan Yero; Taraba State Governor, Garba Umaru; Governor of State Rivers State Liyel Imoke; Niger State Governor, Aliyu Babangida; Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema, and Deputy Governor of Jigawa State.

Also, Ondo State Governor, Olsegun Mimiko and Anambra State Governor, Peter came into the venue of the meeting in solidarity with their PDP counterparts but left before the close door meeting of the party.