We can restore sanity to the n’assembly, says PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has the capacity to provide guidance to members of the national assembly, claiming to be working towards restoring normalcy to the polarised parliament.

Despite having majority members in both chambers of the assembly, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has not been able to speak with one voice.

Earlier on Wednesday, different factions of APC lawmakers clashed at the senate.

The Unity Group loyal to Ahmed Lawan, the official candidate of the party for the senate president, disagreed with the Like Minds loyal to Bukola saraki, the senate president, over the appointment of the remaining leadership positions in the red chamber.

Saraki emerged against the wish of the party, just as Yakubu Dogara also defeated Femi Gbajabiamila, anointed APC candidate, for the speakership position.

Series of attempts to resolve the bad blood have yielded no fruit, prompting the resolve of governors of the party to intervene.

But speaking on Wednesday after a meeting of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Walid Jibrin, BoT secretary, said the PDP was collaborating with its National Wgooorking Committee (NWC) to ensure sanity in appointment within the assembly.

He added that the BoT would ensure that PDP members in the assembly remain calm and undisturbed in the face of obvious challenges.

“We are doing all our best to ensure that sanity is brought to our party. Our party is going to kick again and we are going to bounce back,” he said.

Jibrin urged PDP members in the assembly to give the party’s leadership time and support to ensure its return to prominence.

Speaking on the party’s reconciliation committee headed by Ike Ekweremandu, the deputy senate president, Jibrin said the committee was taking its time to ensure proper reconciliation among party members across the country.

Jibrin said the committee was planning a special tour of the various zones in the country to meet and discuss with party stakeholders on how to advance the party.

He added that though the committee had an initial three-week period to complete its assignment, the PDP NWC granted it 10 weeks on request to enable it do proper job.

He said Uche Secondus, acting national chairman of PDP, would remain in that capacity for a period of three months when a new chairman would be elected.

Haliru Bello, the acting chairman of the PDP BoT, re-emphasised that the party would ensure credible opposition to the APC.

“We will help the government where we think they are not doing the right thing and we will bring their attention to things that are not working,” he said.