National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, yesterday met with Senate President David Mark and other Senators of the party at the National Assembly complex where he reportedly pleaded with them not to defect to the All Progressives Congress, Daily Trust can reveal.
Speaking to journalists shortly after emerging from the meeting, Tukur denied insinuations that he was at the Senate to beg the MPs not to defect to the APC saying, “we did not talk about people who want to go or stay, defection, I came here because this is the first time I am coming to meet my family, they are my members.
However, a Senator who attended the meeting told Daily Trust that the PDP chairman pleaded with them not to leave the party.
“He said we should have confidence in his leadership and be free to approach him to address our grievances,” the Senator said.
Tukur also said the five rebel governors who recently announced their merger with the APC have not yet left the PDP. “Have they? They have not gone yet,” he said.
For his part, Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba (PDP, Cross Rivers) said: “On both sides we discussed issues affecting members of the PDP senate caucus and the national Chairman listened attentively and responded and gave us words of reassurance.”
Another source in the meeting said some Senators demanded that if they must remain in the PDP the party should give them a right of first refusal by returning them their tickets ahead of the 2015 elections.
Speaking at the commencement of the meeting, the Senate President admitted that the party was facing some challenges but assured that they are capable of addressing the issues like a family matter. “We admit we have some challenges in the party . It is expected in a big party like PDP. It is not unusual. We are equal to the challenges as a party. Hopefully, we shall come out of the crisis stronger”.
Senator Mark was also quotes to have told Tukur that he will not declare any Senators’ seat vacant if any decides to defect to another political party.
Our correspondent reports that none of the nPDP Senators attended the meeting with Tukur yesterday.
Among those who were absent at yesterday’s meeting include Senators Hassan Barata and Jibrilla Bindo from Adamawa State, Magnus Abe and Wilson Ake from Rivers State, Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Mohammed Shaaba Lafiagi from Kwara State, Mohammed Ali Ndume and Ahmed Zannah from Borno State and Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa State.
Others who were absent are Aisha Jummai Alhassan from Taraba State, Mohammed Danjuma Goje and Saidu Ahmed Alkali from Gombe State, Abdulaziz Usman and Abdullahi Sankara from Jigawa State, Umaru Tambuwal, Mohamemd Maccido and Ibrahim Gobir all from Sokoto State, and Basheer Garba Lado from Kano State and Nurudeen Usman Abatemi from Kogi State among others.