Hopes of a rapprochement between new Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP, tendency in All Progressives Congress, APC, were dimming last night, following re
Hopes of a rapprochement between new Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP, tendency in All Progressives Congress, APC, were dimming last night, following revelations of the withdrawal of some of the security details of Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara by the Directorate of State Security, DSS. The reported withdrawal of the security details followed mutterings on the part of the nPDP on the invitation of Saraki by the police over the Offa armed robbery incident.
The withdrawn security details had been asked to report to the office of Department of State Services, DSS, headquarters in Abuja. National Assembly sources confirmed the development last night, though the exact number of those withdrawn could not be fully confirmed last night. The DSS does not have a spokesperson, and the reasons for the reported withdrawal could not be confirmed last night.
The withdrawal of the details has raised further hitches to expectations of a reconciliation with the Presidency by the nPDP tendency in the APC. The nPDP bloc had on May 9, 2018, issued a one-week ultimatum for talks with the Presidency over the alleged marginalisation of its members in the government which they claimed they helped to enthrone. Following preliminary talks with party officials, the nPDP representatives, led by Senator Saraki, met with the Presidency team, led by the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, last Monday. At that meeting, it was agreed that a follow-up meeting would hold today. Speaker Dogara was expected to lead the nPDP bloc of five representatives.
However, prospects of the talks were dimming, yesterday, on the part of the nPDP bloc, following the developments affecting Saraki and the withdrawal of the security details. A Presidency source who claimed ignorance of the withdrawal of the security details was, however, hopeful of the meeting going ahead today.
“I have just heard of the withdrawal of the security details from you, so I cannot comment on that, but I am hopeful that the meeting will go ahead,” the top Presidency source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said yesterday.
