Indications emerged on Sunday that the planned
meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of some
opposition political parties on Thursday was called off because of
non-involvement of major parties.
The President, it was learnt, was advised not to hold the meeting as parties that would have attended had no members in the National Assembly to influence the bill when presented.
A source in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party revealed this to our correspondent in Abuja.
It was also learnt that the motive behind the failed parley was to weaken the opposition on the matter, which had so far generated intense national debate.
Following their opposition to the bill, the President did not extend invitation to the Action Congress of Nigeria, Labour Party, All Nigerian Peoples Party and the Congress for Political Change.
Leaders of the three parties said on Sunday that they were not invited to the meeting.
However, the acting Chairman of the Progressive Peoples Alliance, Chief Sam Nkire, said his party was invited, but that the meeting was later called off at the instance of the President.
Nkire explained that those invited were later told that the President would not be available for the scheduled meeting.
He said, “Yes, we were informed before Thursday that the meeting would no longer hold due to the tight schedule of the President.
“I am sure that the meeting will still hold as we were told, but I cannot say when. We are waiting for the next invitation because I believe that issues slated for discussion are still very important.”
Nkire said the botched meeting was the third time he and his other colleagues were invited and hoped the Thursday meeting held.
According to the PDP source, majority of the leadership of opposition political parties who expressed readiness to be at the meeting did not win election during the last general election.
The source said, “What would be the benefit of such meeting, when majority of these political parties did not even win election in any of the elections?
“Now, who are they going to influence when the bill is eventually presented to the National Assembly? The meeting would have been a mere jamboree.”
But Nkire denied the insinuation that the meeting would have only been for soliciting their support for the single tenure proposal.
He said there were other issues slated for discussion with the President, which the meeting would have addressed.
Nkire said, “You know that during the cancelled National Assembly election by INEC, most of the political parties had paid money to agents before the election was cancelled.
“INEC refused to give us any money for that. Don’t forget that the commission does no longer give political parties subvention as well. We will discuss this with the President.
“We will also discuss other national issues like security and unemployment with him. Though we are in support of the single tenure for the President and governors, but I don’t think the meeting will rubberstamp that idea.
“This is because most political parties are against it. However, when we get to the meeting, we will also know other issues the President wants to discuss with us.”
Besides, investigations by our correspondent also showed that political parties would also seek for the amendment of the constitution to accommodate payment of subvention to them.
However, many of the parties invited to the meeting, were not comfortable with the President, it was further gathered.
Their distrust arose from his failure to include them in his cabinet, despite a similar meeting he had held with them where he solicitated for their cooperation for a multi-party cabinet.
Jonathan was forced to change his mind on this following pressure from his own party, the PDP.
By Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja Courtesy Of: Punch
The President, it was learnt, was advised not to hold the meeting as parties that would have attended had no members in the National Assembly to influence the bill when presented.
A source in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party revealed this to our correspondent in Abuja.
It was also learnt that the motive behind the failed parley was to weaken the opposition on the matter, which had so far generated intense national debate.
Following their opposition to the bill, the President did not extend invitation to the Action Congress of Nigeria, Labour Party, All Nigerian Peoples Party and the Congress for Political Change.
Leaders of the three parties said on Sunday that they were not invited to the meeting.
However, the acting Chairman of the Progressive Peoples Alliance, Chief Sam Nkire, said his party was invited, but that the meeting was later called off at the instance of the President.
Nkire explained that those invited were later told that the President would not be available for the scheduled meeting.
He said, “Yes, we were informed before Thursday that the meeting would no longer hold due to the tight schedule of the President.
“I am sure that the meeting will still hold as we were told, but I cannot say when. We are waiting for the next invitation because I believe that issues slated for discussion are still very important.”
Nkire said the botched meeting was the third time he and his other colleagues were invited and hoped the Thursday meeting held.
According to the PDP source, majority of the leadership of opposition political parties who expressed readiness to be at the meeting did not win election during the last general election.
The source said, “What would be the benefit of such meeting, when majority of these political parties did not even win election in any of the elections?
“Now, who are they going to influence when the bill is eventually presented to the National Assembly? The meeting would have been a mere jamboree.”
But Nkire denied the insinuation that the meeting would have only been for soliciting their support for the single tenure proposal.
He said there were other issues slated for discussion with the President, which the meeting would have addressed.
Nkire said, “You know that during the cancelled National Assembly election by INEC, most of the political parties had paid money to agents before the election was cancelled.
“INEC refused to give us any money for that. Don’t forget that the commission does no longer give political parties subvention as well. We will discuss this with the President.
“We will also discuss other national issues like security and unemployment with him. Though we are in support of the single tenure for the President and governors, but I don’t think the meeting will rubberstamp that idea.
“This is because most political parties are against it. However, when we get to the meeting, we will also know other issues the President wants to discuss with us.”
Besides, investigations by our correspondent also showed that political parties would also seek for the amendment of the constitution to accommodate payment of subvention to them.
However, many of the parties invited to the meeting, were not comfortable with the President, it was further gathered.
Their distrust arose from his failure to include them in his cabinet, despite a similar meeting he had held with them where he solicitated for their cooperation for a multi-party cabinet.
Jonathan was forced to change his mind on this following pressure from his own party, the PDP.
By Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja Courtesy Of: Punch
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