by James Sambo
As moves are being made by lawmakers of the opposition party to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan, the Peoples Democratic Party has reportedly started giving re-election tickets to discourage its members from joining the impeachment train.
It is believed that PDP lawmakers had been initially told to forget any hope of returning in 2015, but with the new development, the party is said to be making a turnaround, which may see the lawmakers of the ruling party get a chance to re-contest.
The impeachment moves was birthed after the police and Department of State Service operatives locked the gates of the National Assembly last Thursday, when lawmakers, including the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, were tear-gassed and refused access into the complex.
A day after the incident, about 113 lawmakers, most of whom belong to the APC, began gathering signatures to impeach President Jonathan, who they blamed for the police action.
However, the PDP lawmakers may not be easily swayed into putting down their signature for the impeachment, if they can get the return ticket from their party’s leadership.
A source of the National Assembly reportedly told Punch that “many of these lawmakers (PDP) have long fallen apart with their state governors.”
“They have been told before now that they should forget any ambition to return in 2015. Attempts they made to use the Presidency to intervene in their case also did not turn out in their favour. But, with the impeachment move against Jonathan, the party is now assuring some of the members to keep supporting the President as the tickets can still be theirs.”
A senior PDP member, Mr. Bethel Amadi, confirmed to that the party is mobilising to avert any planned impeachment move against Jonathan, while also adding that the ruling party has the majority in the Assembly, hence, the process may fail.
He said: “Jonathan has not committed any offence to the best of our knowledge. There is no reason to drag Mr. President into any crisis happening at the National Assembly. In any case, we (PDP) are in the majority, both in the Senate and the House. So, any talk of impeachment can only make one laugh.”
Meanwhile, the APC has expressed its determination to proceed with the impeachment process, with House Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, saying that “Impeachment is on course. PDP people have plans, we have plans. We are all planning.”
One of the lawmakers spearheading the signature collection, Mr. Ahmad Ali, disclosed that more members had signed up since the first set of 113 lawmakers put down their signatures. Alli said: “In the House, the collection of signatures is gaining traction. I cannot tell you the exact number now.
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