Senate caucus to resolve Jonathan, Amaechi, Akpabio disputes

by Oluwole Josiah

The Peoples Democratic Party caucus in the Senate has resolved to wade into the prolonged confrontation between President Goodluck Jonathan and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

It will also mediate in the conflict between Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Aloysius Etok.
Leader of the Senate, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, said the PDP caucus in the Senate had set up two committees to attend to the issues affecting the two states.

He briefed the press on Tuesday at the end of what he described as a routine meeting of the parties caucus in the Senate.

The meeting was attended by the President of the Senate, David Mark, and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.

Ndoma-Egba said, “The PDP Senate caucus just finished its meeting. You know that our caucus meetings are routine meetings. The Senate President was here in person. The Deputy Senate President was here in person.

“The entire leadership of the PDP in the Senate was here and we looked essentially at the challenges our party is facing in some states.

“We looked especially at the situation in Rivers State and Akwa Ibom State. We looked at the relationship between the governor and our colleague, Senator Aloysius Etok.

“It was decided that there was a need for the Senate PDP caucus to intervene with a view to see how we can return the two states to cordiality and normalcy and to that effect we have set up two committees to engage the dramatis personae in the two states.”

The Senate Leader, however, did not name the committees, but said the committees would start work immediately.

There had been a subtle battle between the President and Amaechi in connection with the chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, which is currently receiving extensive media coverage.

Akpabio, on the other hand, is at daggers-drawn with Etok over his representation in the Senate, as the governor has declared his intention to replace the senator in the National Assembly in 2015.

Ndoma-Egba further explained that the caucus was also concerned about the clamour for the increase in the representation of members of the National Assembly in the National Executive Committee of the PDP.

He said, “Yes, there has been the clamour at the National Assembly for increased membership of its members in NEC. That has been ongoing as you are fully aware. And we are still pressing that we want a greater representation of the National Assembly in the National Executive Committee of the PDP.”

Culled from PUNCH