Presidency plotting to unseat Mark, Tambuwal – New PDP

THE  faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, known as the New PDP, has accused the Presidency of plotting to remove   Senate President David Mark  and  the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal.

The allegation, which was dismissed by the Presidency as a product of mischief makers, was made hours after The PUNCH had gathered that PDP members in the House loyal to the Bamanga Tukur faction had  set up a “strategy group” to watch Tambuwal.

The New PDP claimed that the plot to sack Mark and the Speaker  was over the visit of its National Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje and  seven aggrieved PDP  governors   to the National Assembly on Tuesday.

It said in a statement  by  its  National Publicity Secretary , Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, on Thursday, that  those behind the scheme must have a rethink.

The statement reads in part, “To us, this plot by the hawks in the Presidency is politics taken too far and it  illustrates the extent to which they are prepared to go in their determination to plunge this country into chaos.

“We wish to warn those who are planning this ‘coup’ to desist forthwith as such a misadventure is capable of plunging this nation into a crisis of monumental proportion .

“These undemocratic elements should stop overheating the polity just because of their selfish ambitions.”

The faction  warned that those who felt that politics was better practised by way of threats and the unseating of those who did not share their “unprogressive” thoughts should know “that there  is   a limit to how far they can push us.”

It added that   Mark and Tambuwal had brought in a unique style of leadership  which   had resulted in  sanity, brotherhood and  unity being witnessed in the National Assembly.

The New PDP however  said the  removal  of Mark and Tambuwal  would  be impossible because its members  in the National Assembly were in the majority.

It  therefore  advised the leadership of the National Assembly not to lose sleep over the alleged plot.

 The group  added that the  “well-intentioned visit”  was  part of the nation-wide consultations   by its members in their efforts to correct “the evils being perpetrated by the undemocratic leadership of Alhaji  Tukur and his cohorts.”

It  said, “The aim was to brief and discuss with members of the National Assembly, in view of their position as leaders of the party, on how to reposition our great party to be united and face other parties by 2015.

“Any other motive imputed to the visit is not only mischievous but also a product of the devilish imaginations of those reaching such conclusions.”

 But the Presidency dismissed the allegation, saying that it was an attempt by “mischief-makers to overheat the polity.”

Investigations  in Abuja   showed that  a  group  was   monitoring the speaker to find out whether he had aligned with the 57 New PDP members in the House.

The group, said to be headed by a senior lawmaker from the South, had held a couple of meetings lately.

Findings indicated that such meetings discussed a series of issues concerning  the recent developments in the PDP.

The Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emodi,   in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on  Thursday, said those alleging a plot against Mark and Tambuwal were only bent on overheating the polity.

She said there was no such move  because Jonathan  had enormous respect for members of the National Assembly as well as their leadership.

Emodi   said, “The President is one president that has refused to interfere in the activities of the National Assembly. There will be no way he will be involved in such a thing.

“This is an attempt by mischief makers who are bent on overheating the polity by flying kites of imminent crisis in the National Assembly. I want to state categorically that such only exist in the minds  of the peddlers.”