Abuja — The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday asked the Senate to respect the tradition of budget presentation by using the usual venue, which is the chamber of the House of Representatives.

Fielding questions from reporters on the on-going feud between the Senate and the House members over the venue of presenting the 2010 Appropriation Bill, PDP National Publicity Secretary Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali said the issue of venue ought not to have been a bone of contention.

Alkali, who was told by reporters that the crisis stemmed from the choice of the venue to be used, said, "All I know is that all of us are students of history and students of politics and what you are saying is something that is not new because traditionally, what happens is that budget presentation is done in the House because it is a larger place and then the Senate President presides over the entire occasion while the Speaker gives a vote of thanks.

"This is a thing that is known by the Nigerian Constitution, the tradition and all countries where we have bicameral legislature. So, I don't think this should now take us back. The simple thing is that there is a tradition, which is backed by the constitution and which the legislators know very well and we are going to work on that line," he added.

Alkali also said the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly was invited to the PDP secretariat because of the stalemate in budget presentation, an event which he said members of the National Working Committee (NWC) were planning to attend.

He said the NWC was not convinced by the arguments raised by the two sides. After a meeting that lasted for about one and a half hours, NWC members led by PDP National Chairman Prince Vincent Ogbulafor drove straight to the Presidential Villa to brief President Yar'adua.

Yesterday's meeting at the PDP Secretariat was attended by Senate President David Mark, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Speaker Dimeji Bankole, Deputy Speaker Usman Nafada, Senator Kanti Bello, Senator Teslim Folarin, House Leader Tunde Akogun, House Chief Whip Emeka Ihedioha, Senator Mohammed Maina and Reps Aminu Tambuwal and Abdul Ningi.