The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis resonated in the Senate yesterday when two members openly disagreed over the status of the party in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.
Senate President David Mark deftly averted a possible firsticuffs between the New and old Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House yesterday.
There was a stand-off between Senators Smart Adeyemi and Danjuma Mohammed Goje over factions in the PDP. Goje announced the birth of the New PDP while Adeyemi demanded he withdraws the statement as there is no faction, not only in the PDP, but also, in the chamber. Goje’s refusal resulted in tension and stalemate in the House.
Trouble started during a motion on the demise of former Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Kokumo Agagu, when Senator Goje got up to pay tribute to a former colleague.
Goje recalled how he and Agagu served as ministers of state for power and steel in the Obasanjo administration. In the course of his tribute, Goje referred to himself as a member of the New PDP which he said was formed in 1998 under the chairmanship of Alhaji Kawu Baraje.
The chamber immediately became charged and Chairman of the Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Adeyemi, took exception to his comments and quickly raised a motion via Order 53 (7) of the Senate Standing Orders (2011, as amended).
A visibly angry and agitated Senator Smart read the order and submitted that it was out of order for Goje to use offensive language. As soon as he said this, the opposition aisle became rowdy with side comments targeted at Senator Adeyemi to which the Kogi State senator turned, faced them and asked, are you PDP, what’s your problem with PDP? This is a PDP matter…”
Facing the Senate President, Senator Adeyemi continued: “For a distinguished senator, a former minister, a former governor to insult the ruling party, the same party under whose platform he was elected into the Senate, a party from which he is yet to officially decamp from, he’s still a member of the PDP. The PDP is one, united party. There’s no faction in the PDP.”
Upon hearing this, members of the opposition party continued to heckle Adeyemi and he, again, facing them, addressed them as “mushroom parties.”
Having regained the floor, he said: “As far as I know, we have one PDP and I find it offensive that a distinguished Senator would stand up here to say there are factions in the PDP. I want him to withdraw that statement, be sure there’s only one PDP registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as required by law…”
Before Mark could rule on Adeyemi’s motion, an obviously infuriated Goje reminded Adeyemi that, “I’m more PDP than him. I joined PDP before him,” and reiterated that he belongs to the original PDP led by Alhaji Baraje.
Ruling on the motion, although Mark refused to rule Adeyemi out of order on his motion, he, nevertheless, reminded his colleagues that there’s only one PDP in the chamber. “This is not an issue on this floor here. Goje, you’ve just said you are a member of the PDP and so, PDP remains one…” Mark noted.
