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Senate Presidency: PDP Senators Split
About seven days to the election of principal officers for the Ninth Senate, there is a major disagreement in the camp of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The split has created a setback for the proposed block votes by the main opposition party against the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Ahmed Lawan.
Lawan looks good for the trophy, with many senators-elect, including those of PDP, joining his campaign train.
Although the final figure was being collated last night, there were indications that the APC candidate might garner about 62 or 63 of the 108 votes available.
The fate of a former Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is yet to be decided by the court.
Notwithstanding, four APC senators, including Ali Ndume, Danjuma Goje, Saidu Alkali and one other.
Investigation revealed that there has been a major split in the PDP senators Caucus on block votes when the Senate is inaugurated on June 11.
It was learnt that some PDP senators-elect have opted to vote on principle for Lawan instead of party sentiments.
Others are unhappy that a principal officer of the outgoing National Assembly and some opposition governors decided to dictate to them on who to vote for as the next President of the Senate and other principal officers.
The aggrieved PDP senators-elect alleged that selfish interest, rather than “PDP’s larger common interest”, accounted for the push to vote against APC candidates.
A ranking PDP senator-elect said: “Unlike in 2015 when we had clearly defined agenda, the PDP has no focus this time around on the choice of principal officers. I can assure you that the opposition will not engage in block votes this time around.
“We have not even been given any serious directive by the party. This was not the case in 2015.
“A few of our leaders championing block votes have been doing so to pursue personal agenda. It is absurd to attempt to make principal offices hereditary or to impose leaders on us.
Some of us will rather collaborate in a manner that a constructive opposition will be in place for a greater future for PDP.
“Some PDP senators-elect have elected to have a new Senate with enhanced agenda. They have high regards for Lawan and they will vote for the APC candidate.”
The source claimed that some PDP senators from the Southwest, Northcentral, Southsouth, and the Southeast will join forces with their APC colleagues on Lawan’s project.
The source confirmed that a “former President of the Senate, who is in PDP, has given his blessing to Lawan” in the country’s interest.
Members of the Lawan Campaign Council and strategists yesterday defied the Sallah holidays to “take stock” of those who had signed up to back their candidate.
Although they were still computing the tally, a member of the team said: “More senators-elect have appended their signatures to support Lawan.
“I cannot give you the exact figure now but the situation at hand is far better than it was in 2015. Some PDP senators are part of our campaign this time around because of the vision inherent in it.”
Despite the fact that the final tally figure was kept under wraps, there were indications that the APC candidate might garner about 62 or 63 out of the 108 votes available.
“We will not hide it; all the senators-elect backing Lawan will surely come out to confirm they belong, “ another source added.
But APC senators-elect have decided to be united with the exception of four.
The four APC senators-elect opposed to Lawan’s leadership are Ali Ndume and Danjuma Goje, who are eyeing Senate President, Alh. Saidu Alkali ( Gombe North) and one other from the North.
A source said: “So far, apart from the four APC senators, our caucus is more united for the election of principal officers than the case four years ago.”
Lawan will tomorrow unveil his legislative agenda for the 9th Senate, The Nation learnt.
A notice by the Chairman, Sen. Ahmad Lawan Campaign Group, Dr. Yahaya Abdullahi, said the agenda is about “a National Assembly that works for Nigeria”.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Resources Authority says it has commenced a clampdown on illegal LPG retail outlets in Akwa Ibom State.
The state Coordinator, Ikechukwu Eseka, disclosed this on Thursday while receiving the state commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Bakshar Hussaini, in his office on a courtesy visit.
He said, “We have started enforcement of LPG retailers embarking on illegal decanting of LPG, filling stations, LPG refilling plants and other illegal downstream operations in the state.
“We are currently working on the illegal proliferation of decanting of LPG in the state, Eseka stated, adding that gas is very volatile, and some of them are using gas that is not meant for the purpose.”
He said he has directed that gas plant owners should not load gas on people who don’t have licenses NMDPRA in the state, warning that “decanting of gas from cylinder to cylinder is an illegal activity which is punishable by law.”
He also called on marketers to register and renew their licenses before operating LPG in the state.
“We used the opportunity to talk on the aspects of the downstream which has to do with our enforcement, sealing of filling stations and those who are using diesel for industrial purposes that are yet to register with NMDPRA.
“We have also commenced engagement with individuals and organisations using storage tanks that are over 500 litres, to come and register with the Authority in the state,” he added.
Eseka thanked the Commandant for coming to re-strategise and collaborate with the Authority in the state.
Earlier, the State Commandant of NSCDC, Hussaini, explained that the purpose of coming was to collaborate with NMDPRA on how to checkmate indiscriminate decanting of LPG in the state.
“I know with the present situation in the country, a lot of them are going to cry and you have to use human face to handle their cases so that we don’t injure the government and the public themselves,” he said.
He lamented that some people used their houses to sell cooking gas which can cause environmental hazards to the public.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced plans to phase out the Permanent Voter Cards, PVC.
INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, made this known at a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs, held at the INEC Conference Room, Abuja on Thursday.
This was part of the identified 142 recommendations released by the Commission which deals with the general state of preparedness, voter management, voter education and public communication, political parties and candidate management.
Other areas of recommendation include electoral operations and logistics management, election officials and personnel, partnership and collaboration, monitoring and supervision, election technology, voting and result management, election security, electoral offences and the electoral legal framework.
The Chairman said there are eight recommendations among the 142 which require legislative action by the National Assembly.
“The Commission also believes that with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, the use of the Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVC, as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on Election Day should be reviewed.
He, however, said that those who already have the Permanent Voter Cards can still use them to vote.
He added, “But going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation. ”
Yakubu said this new development will save costs and further eliminate the issues around the collection of Permanent Voter Cards.
He also said the practice of buying up the Permanent Voter Cards from voters to disenfranchise them, would be reduced.
President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to present the 2025 proposed budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
The announcement was made by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during a plenary session, revealing that the President has sent a communication to that effect.
“The president has made his intention known to the National Assembly to present the 2025m budget to the joint session of the National Assembly on the 17th of December, 2024,” he said.
The proposed budget, totalling N47.9 trillion, was earlier announced by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Atiku Bagudu.
NMDPRA begins clampdown on illegal LPG retail outlets in Akwa Ibom
Elections in Nigeria: There’ll be no more need for voter cards – INEC
BREAKING: Tinubu to present 2025 budget proposal to National Assembly Tuesday
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