Most Northern Senators have
poured cold water on President Umaru Yar'Adua's
performance, and are said to recoil at the thought
of him remaining in the Villa beyond 2011.
That was the first of three
feelers at the weekend.
The second is that all Senators
in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sent Senate
President, David Mark, to tell Yar'Adua of their
displeasure at the way he runs the country.
The third: All PDP Senators told
Mark to ask Yar'Adua whether he wants a second term
in 2011.
PDP Senators held a closed door
caucus meeting last week where they told Mark to
present a list of grievances to Yar'Adua, which
include dissatisfaction with his governance, the
economy, electoral reform, 2011 election, his
seven-point agenda, non-consultation with PDP
National Assembly (NASS) caucus, and Constitution
review.
The PDP has 87 of the total 109
Senators.
Part of the message is for Mark
to convey to Yar'Adua the strategy for the party to
win in 2011 and the need for automatic tickets for
PDP Senators, except those angling for
Governorships.
The meeting of the caucus was
called to convey members' grouse with Yar'Adua over
"his style of governance," which they tabled through
Mark at the party's National Executive Committee
(NEC) meeting.
The first meting held at Mark's
official residence on Thursday morning, and the
enlarged caucus brainstorm took place at a Senate
Hearing Room.
The first gathering was attended
by only the kitchen cabinet of the caucus -
comprising the leadership, key PDP Senators, and a
Committee Chairman.
Most Senators who spoke strongly
against Yar'Adua at the closed door parley, which
was held shortly before the PDP NEC meeting, were
Northerners, it was learnt.
One attendee confided that
opposition against his style came mostly from "his
kinsmen from the North. Almost all Senators present
had a thing or two to say about the state of affairs
of the country.
"The truth of the matter is that
the nation is adrift. Nothing is happening. The
economy is in a shambles and Yar'Adua and his
economic team do not have any answer on how to bail
us out of the obvious recession Nigeria is in."
The source recounted that PDP
Senators only stopped short of calling for his
resignation because "nothing concrete has happened
in almost two years of his leadership."
They asked Mark to tell "Yar'Adua
that he should be decisive on how he wants to run
the country. We want to hear from him how he intends
to salvage the remaining two years left."
PDP Senators also reportedly
slammed Yar'Adua over the stalled Constitution
review for "keeping quiet when it matters most" and
for not "intervening directly in the imbroglio in
the National Assembly.
"We expected that by now, he and
the PDP would have intervened over the matter. We
expressed strong reservations that they shouldn't
have kept quiet.
"Their deliberate silence over
the non-progress on the Constitution review is
giving PDP Senators concern. It is giving us
concern."
PDP Senators expressed
disappointment that electoral reform proposals are
coming rather late.
"Concerning the 2011 elections,
where it specifically relates to the National
Assembly, the Senators bemoaned the frequent changes
which they believe have depleted experienced
lawmakers from returning to Abuja.
The message to Yar'Adua, through
Mark, is simple: "Don't change legislators in 2011,
except those who have expressed a desire to contest
for Governorship positions. Give room for experience
by returning federal lawmakers who wish to do so."
Senators took turns to knock
Yar'Adua's seven-point agenda too, which they said
has not worked for the country.
Mark responded to the agitators:
"You are my bosses. I will deliver your message and
I want to thank you for your support in helping to
stabilise the Senate since 2007."