Atiku’s Visit Generates Tension In Assembly

Tension is now mounting in the Enugu State House of Assembly following the recent visit of a presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubabar to the House last December.

Our correspondent gathered that some powerful politicians from the state working for the presidency were not happy over the special session held by members of the assembly on behalf of Alhaji Atiku and the recent indirect endorsement of the ex-Vice President of the country by members of the House through their speaker, Mr Eugene Odoh, who described Atiku, as the most experienced of all the PDP presidential aspirants.

Atiku had earlier, described the speaker as a courageous man, revealing that the time he was in Enugu on the invitation of the Enugu Sports Club, and even when nobody wanted to see him,the speaker managed to find his way to “my hotel and we discussed.”

A very close source to the Enugu State House of Assembly told our correspondent that the state lawmakers are now jittery over suspected moves by some powerful persons from Abuja to deny them return tickets.

It was also gathered that the lawmakers are nursing ambition to decamp to other political parties in order to avoid embarrassment during the forthcoming primaries of the party.

The source further disclosed that the jittery lawmakers were happy when they got hint of the suspension of the PDP House of Assembly Primaries in Enugu State by the National Working Committee of the party.

Members of the House of Assembly,now being accused of playing double role, had during the controversial special session for Atiku showered encomiums on him and used his name to compose a song when the ex- president visited the hallowed chambers of the house late last year.

The song “which was sang by Hon Paul Anikwe representing Ezeagu Constituency had continued to generate unpleasant reactions from Enugu State citizens who felt that members of the House belittled themselves by using Atiku,s name to compose a song.

“It is unfortunate that members of Enugu State House of Assembly used the name of Atiku to compose a song despite their earlier endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan as their sole candidate in this year’s presidential election. It is a shame. Atiku is not the only PDP aspirant, the Party has many aspirants”, a PDP stalwart who preferred anonymity said.

When contacted, the Chairman , of the State House Committee on Information, Marcel Njeze said the visit of the ex-Vice President would not cost any member of the house his position, insisting that only the People would decide those that would be renominated or rejected.

He also denied the rumour that arrangement had been concluded by members of the House to impeach the speaker for playing double role in respect of PDP’s presidential candidates.

It will be recalled that members of the Enugu State House of Assembly had since endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as their sole presidential candidate in this year’s presidential election in the country.