Jonathan Meets PDP Caucus Members

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday night met with members of the national caucus of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

The meeting which was held inside the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja was scheduled to kick off at about 8pm.

The parley preceded a meeting of the party’s Board of Trustees which holds at the same venue and at the same time on Wednesday.

The series of meetings involving the national leaders will culminate in a meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee that will hold at the national headquarters of the party on Thursday.

Jonathan had last year expanded the party’s national caucus to include six governors and three ministers.

According to the PDP constitution, members of the national caucus include the National Chairman who shall preside over all national caucus meetings of the party.

Other members of the national caucus include the President and Vice-President, if they are members of the party; the President of the Senate, Deputy President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the deputy speaker, principal officers of the National Assembly, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, chairman of the BoT and the national secretary of the party, the national legal adviser and national treasurer, among other members of the party.

The constitution of the PDP specifies the duties of the national caucus to include the harmonisation of the relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of government and the coordination of their activities and those of the party.

It also has the function of considering, reviewing and advising on policies and programmes of government.

The governors nominated by Jonathan into the caucus include Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema, representing the Northwest; Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, representing North-Central; Theodore Orji, representing the South-East; Emmanuel Uduaghan, representing South-South; Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State from the North-East and the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State.

There is no representation from the South-west, because there is no elected governor of the party from the zone.

The ministers that were nominated are Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Dezani Alison-Madueke, Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke. (punch)

Jonathan Meets PDP Caucus Members