Senator Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, has debunked reports in some national dailies that President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at a meeting held at the weekend caved in to pressure and granted automatic tickets to 40 out of 72 PDP Senators to return to the Senate in 2015.
While insisting that no such deal was struck, Abatemi-Usman, who said he was part of the meeting from beginning to end, described as misleading and untrue the report of a “harmonised” list of automatic ticket holders.
Speaking to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja, Abatemi-Usman said contrary to the report that quoted an unnamed source, the source was a well-known Senator who has been trying to create the false impression that he is close to the national PDP leadership and the Presidency, even claiming recently that President Jonathan has endorsed him as the next Senate President.
“My colleague should be careful as he is becoming known as the purveyor of dubious information. I was at the meeting from the beginning to the end and at no point was any list of Senators
drafted. It is unfortunate that a fellow
Senator would peddle such rumours and that respected national newspapers would publish the report without checking the facts,” he said.
Abatemi-Usman explained that during the meeting, the unnamed Senator had complained that his governor was trying to scheme him out of office by installing his political opponents as electoral delegates in his senatorial district.
According to Abatemi-Usman “What our national chairman (Adamu Mu’azu) did after some senators had spoken their minds was to look at the situation in each state, and he said where there are issues they would be resolved amicably. If there was any such list my name definitely would have been included because the chairman said he is not aware that I am having any problem in Kogi Central while speaking on the situation in Kogi State. The chairman said the problem in Kogi West would be resolved.
That was the manner in which the chairman went through all the states.
Neither he, nor the President at any time mentioned names of senators to be granted automatic tickets. It seems my colleague behind the purported
report is being mischievous in spreading this story and the public should disregard his claims”, he said.