AS high-wire politicking continues in the House of Representatives over the choice of Speaker when the seventh National Assembly is inaugurated on Monday, members of the chamber who are of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) extraction have been warned by the leadership of the party not to go against its zoning formula.
The leadership of the party has zoned the speakership to the Southwest but feelers from the chamber indicate that some aspirants have emerged from other zones.
Speaking at a two-day retreat for newly elected members of the National Assembly on the platform of the party, Acting National Chairman PDP, Dr. Mohammed Haliru Bello, said the party would not condone any act of indiscipline.
His words: "Henceforth, we shall no longer condone acts of indiscipline in our party. It is better to have a small cohesive and disciplined party with potentials for growth, than a large and amorphous one, with unruly members.
"I wish to believe that all our elected members know the value of party discipline and party supremacy... Surely, we cannot continue to allow individuals and groups to do what they like and undermine our unity, cohesion and effectiveness.
"It is regrettable that our party has, for too long, been bedeviled by a history of indiscipline. This caused us dearly in the recent elections. We lost states and seats needlessly because of the failure of our members to play according to the rules."
Bello also said that discipline must be brought to bear in the relationship between the legislature and the executive.
He said: "We must bring this to bear in the working relationship between the executive and the legislature in the next four years. We expect you to stay close to the party and subscribe to the party line and decisions, which I am sure, you all know are not arrived at frivolously but after comprehensive consultations and robust debates."
Also stressing party discipline, President Goodluck Jonathan said: "Loyalty, internal democracy and party discipline are some essential elements in this mission. It is therefore imperative that as members of our party we must strive to subject ourselves to the guideline of its leadership.
"The message is that despite the free-handedness of democracy, there are basic rules of conduct and behaviour that regulate the actions of members of every political party so as to ensure cohesion and achieving a common purpose for the good of all."
"We must build and strengthen our political parties so that the institutions of democracy can constantly produce such individuals who can defend our party and our country", the President stated, adding: "We will reform to enable us achieve our objective."
The president noted that the bane of any organisation, "is indiscipline which, within the contest of political parties in any democratic setting, often comes as errant and self-centered activities of individuals or a group against established orderly, all-inclusive and fair procedures."
He appealed to party faithful to remain apostles of reform, saying: "The reforms to transform the polity must begin at home. We must all work together to subject our party to the much-needed reform so that it can position itself for the great task ahead.
"We must democratise our decision making process so that party decisions will be easier to enforce. We must consult more, build consensus and take decisions that is in the best interest of our country and our party. I charge you all not only to support the reforms but to also ensure their implementation at all levels."
Source: Speakership: Jonathan, PDP Caution Reps Over Zoning Breach (http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50168:speakership-jonathan-pdp-caution-reps-overnzoning-breach-&catid=1:national&Itemid=559)