PDP Plans Punitive Measures Against Rebel Governors, Lawmakers

The defection of five out of its seven aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the All Progressives Congress is still causing ripples in the PDP as the National Working Committee of the party is considering punitive measures against the defected governors.

To this effect, an emergency meeting of the Party’s National Working Committee has been scheduled for next Monday as against the traditional Wednesday the meeting always held.

The meeting according to a source is to enable the party’s leadership to determine the fate of the rebel governors.

It was further gathered that the emergency meeting would among other things, decide on what punitive measures to be taken against the governors and lawmakers, who are likely to join them.

Sources close to the party told our correspondents that the party was afraid there could be mass defection of the PDP National Assembly members to the APC.

Investigations also revealed that the National Working Committee of the PDP at the meeting would discuss how it would not lose its majority status in the National Assembly to the APC.

It was learnt that the meeting was specifically put in place to brainstorm on the movement of the governors to the APC because the weekly NWC meeting traditionally holds on Wednesdays.

One of our correspondents gathered that the leadership of the PDP had been considering how to curtail the movement of any lawmaker elected on the platform of the party to the opposition.

A source in the party said, “We are going to consider all the  legal options before deciding on punitive measures for the governors and lawmakers that defect to the APC.

“Nothing is on the table yet, but I can assure you that the PDP will hit back. One of the punitive measures we will consider is impeachment of the governors and how feasible it is. By Monday, we will unfold our strategies. Also, we must ensure that the PDP does not become a minority party in the National Assembly.”

When contacted, the National Publicity secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisah Metuh, confirmed to one of our correspondents on the telephone on Thursday, that the PDP was indeed planning to hold the meeting on Monday.

He also said that the issue of the rebel governors would form part of deliberations.

According to him, the meeting will, among other things, discuss issues affecting the party in general and other recent developments in the polity including the defection of some of their governors.

Metuh, who also spoke on the issue of the threat by some lawmakers to defect from the PDP, said that the national leadership of the PDP had implicit confidence in the leadership of both houses of the National Assembly to maintain the party’s positions.

He said, “Well on the issue of Amaechi and the other governors who have defected, there is an emergency meeting of the NWC to discuss all matters on Monday.

“On the issue of the lawmakers, the leadership of the two houses of the National Assembly are PDP members. The leaders are capable and are loyal. We have confidence in them. They have not shown any cause for doubts. They are loyal party members who can be relied upon at any time. All I can tell you is that we are going to discuss all the issues.”

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