There are strong indications that the crisis in the People’s Democratic Party may spill over to the 10th National Assembly which will be inaugurated in June.
Some newly elected PDP House of Representatives members might yield to the G-5 governors’ wish when the battle for the leadership of the House and minority caucus begins.
Though the PDP had yet to issue any directives to lawmakers elected on its platform, there were signs on Thursday that some newly elected members might go along with the five governors’ positions regarding the choice of the minority and the House leadership.
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, while hosting the Deputy Speaker of the House, Idris Wase, penultimate Monday, said the Rivers PDP would support the All Progressives Congress at the national level.
Wase is contesting the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“The truth must be told that we are going to support the leadership of your party (APC) at the national level,” Wike assured Wase when the latter visited the governor in Port Harcourt.
It was learnt the other members of the G-5, who also have loyalists among the lawmakers-elect, might align with Wike in deciding the next leaders of the house.
When told that the nominations for minority caucus leadership positions could compound the crisis in the PDP, Oke said, “We would get over it except we part ways.”
Incidentally, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, where Oke and Salam represent, had pitched his tent with the Ayu-led NWC against the G-5 governors.
Speaking on the possibility of the minority leadership being hijacked by other forces, Abiante noted that the outcome of supplementary elections would go a long way in determining the next leader of the House.
He recalled how the PDP failed in its bid to nominate leaders of the minority caucus of the current 9th House.
Kingsley Chinda and the three others had lost their battle for the leadership of the minority caucus of the House.
The PDP had nominated Kingsley Chinda, Toby Okechukwu, Umar Barde and Muraina Ajibola for the minority caucus leadership.
However, the conglomerate of opposition parties in the House appointed Ndudi Elumelu as Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu as Deputy Minority Leader, Gideon Gwani as Minority Whip, and Adesegun Adekoya as Deputy Minority Whip.
