We won’t tell our senators to reject nominees - PDP

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has said it will not ask its senators in the Senate to vote against any of the ministerial nominees. 

It said the decision on what to do with any of the ministerial nominees would be left to the senators. 

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, stated this on a television programme monitored by our correspondent in Abuja on Monday. 

Metuh said he senators should be guided by the rules of the Senate and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria when clearing or screening the nominees. He added that though the main opposition party had a substantial number among the 108 senators, he said the PDP would not use that to intimidate the majority party, which is the All Progressives Congress. 

He said, "We control about 46 per cent of the Senate, but we won't hold discussions with our senators on who to clear and not to clear. "They are working for the people and are not representing the PDP alone. We will leave them to follow their conscience and do the right thing. We won't tell them to clear or not to clear any ministerial nominee." 

He described those nominated as ministers as "regular players," and wondered why it took the President so much time to submit the list to the Senate. He believed that it would be difficult for the APC to attempt to impeach the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who is considered to be favourably disposed to the PDP agenda. Even if the APC attempts it, he said his party would not back such plot. 

Though backed by the PDP, which has 49 members in the Senate, Saraki is among the 59 senators produced by the APC. However, one out of the APC 59 senators from Borno State died, leaving the ruling party with 58 senators. But while the ranks of the APC senators are divided, all the 49 produced by the opposition party, are speaking with one voice. 

Metuh said some of the senators, who are now members of the APC, still had sympathy for the PDP and its ideologies. The PDP spokesman added, "We have no problem with the team he (President Bunari) has chosen. 

It is his prerogative to pick anyone he wants to work with. Some APC members still share in our ideologies. We are not happy that they left us. 

"We thought the President was going to bring people from the United States of America and other foreign countries. But he brought us a regular list." Metuh claimed that former President Goodluck Jonathan had wanted to appoint the current Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, as Minister of Petroleum two years ago. 

He said unfortunately, the plan didn't sail through. Metuh could not give any reason why the plan failed, adding that it was wrong for Buhari to claim credit for ‘discovering’ Kachikwu. "The NNPC GMD was going to be a minister under the PDP two years ago, but it didn't happen. Buhari didn't discover him," he added.