Leadership (Abuja)
Philip Nyam
19 September 2008
In order to shore up support for President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, yesterday held consultations with the PDP caucus in both houses of the National Assembly even as he insisted that the meeting just was a normal interactive session.
The meeting, which began at about 2.50 pm, lasted for over two hours, with Speaker Dimeji Bankole, his deputy Usman Bayero Nafada, and Deputy Leader, Baba Shehu Agaie, and other PDP members of the House in attendance.The chairman had earlier met with the party's caucus in the Senate.
Ogbulafor, who spoke to House correspondents shortly after the meeting, which held at House of Representatives Hearing Room 1 behind closed doors, said the leadership of the party had held a similar interactive forum with the upper chamber and hence the House.
He denied that the meeting with the representatives was to discuss matters in the House, explaining, "We have an interactive session with the Senate and we are with the House just to rub minds. It is normal, they elected us, they voted us into power. We have never been here. So, it is normal to call on them and thank them for voting us."
Explaining the basis for the meeting, Ogbulafor said his main aim of interacting with the lawmakers was to solicit their support for the President's 7-Point Agenda and unity for the party. "We asked them to encourage and support the Seven-point Agenda and development; to be in party support and the rest of them", he stated.
Answering a question as to whether his visit was necessitated by the alleged loss of support by Yar'Adua from a majority of Nigerians, the national chairman said the President had never at any time been unpopular among the people, stressing that his administration was doing a wonderful job and cannot be distracted by rumours and unsubtantiated allegations.
"No, no, he (Yar'Adua) is not losing support. He is very responsible to his duties. I was with him yesterday (Wednesday). I had a chat with him yesterday, I gave a press conference yesterday. The President is very much responsible in his duties. He is doing his work very well."
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