President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday
had a closed-doors meeting with five Northern Peoples Democratic Party
governors in a step towards resolving the crisis rocking the ruling
Peoples Democratic Party.
The meeting, which was held at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja, had in attendance governors Murtala Nyako
(Adamawa), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Ibrahim
Geidam (Yobe) and Kashim Shettima (Borno).
The relationship between Nyako, Aliyu
and Kwankwaso and the Presidency on one hand, and the PDP on the other
hand, became strained when the governors supported the re-emergence of
Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State as the Chairman of the Nigerian
Governors’ Forum against Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State.
The northern governors have also been taking sides with Amaechi against the Presidency in the political crisis rocking Rivers.
Apart from paying Amaechi a solidarity
visit in Port Harcourt, the state capital, they also met with former
President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta on July 20 to discuss issues
believed to include the crisis in Rivers State and the PDP. Jonathan
also had a separate meeting with former president Obasanjo in Abeokuta
same day.
On Monday, the governors also met with
former Heads of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and Gen. Abdusalami
Abubakar on the same issues in Minna, Niger State capital.
A source learnt that the
Saturday meeting of the governors and Jonathan was one of the outcomes
of the consultations they had with the former leaders.
A presidency source said the governors
would have met with the President alongside Abdusalami when the former
military head of state visited Jonathan on Wednesday evening.
He said the meeting was however
postponed because the initial time clashed with the expected arrival
time of the President’s wife, Patience, who lost her foster mother, Mrs.
Christy Oba.
It was not clear whether the formal military leader attended the Saturday meeting.
Although the agenda of the meeting which
was held inside the official residence of the President was not made
public, the source said it was a continuation of the governors
consultation and intervention in the Rivers crisis.
Our correspondent further learnt that
the five governors had earlier met at an undisclosed location within
Abuja before moving to the Presidential Villa for the meeting that
started at about noon and lasted about two hours.
At the meeting, which was the initiative
of the President, it was learnt that the governors expressed their
misgivings over the Rivers crisis and advised the President not to take
sides.
The source who pleaded anonymity, said
the governors also told the President that it was wrong for him to back
the Jonah Jang-led faction of the NGF, instead of supporting the choice
of the majority of the governors.
Besides, NE learnt that
the governors also blamed the party’s National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur,
for the crises and demanded that he should be sacked.
“The President was told to support the
chairman of the NGF, who is from his zone and who was elected by the
majority of the governors.
“They also told him that he should
realise that he came to office through election and not through
endorsement, which Jang is claiming to have before the NGF election.
“They told the President pointedly that
there was no way he could wash his hands off what is happening in both
the NGF and Rivers State and that he must act as a leader.
“They said if he could do these three things, the tension in the country would be reduced drastically,” the source said.
The President was said to have denied
his involvement in both the NGF and Rivers State crises and promised to
find a solution to the challenges the party is facing.
Although there were rumours making the
rounds that Amaechi also attended the meeting, the President’s
spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, who confirmed the meeting of the Northern
governors with the President, said the Rivers governor did not attend
the meeting.
“There was no such meeting (between
Amaechi and the President). I can confirm to you that he met with some
governors but Amaechi was not one of them,” the presidential spokesman
said.
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Whatever that will bring peace is a welcome idear,,, Calling for the meeting alone means the presidency needs peace,,
ReplyDeleteBut no wise Leader take decision under Durex or lead by the dictate of Despirados
No be only duress na durex condom
DeleteOlodo
He is a weakling, he must respect the strength of Gov. Amaechi.
ReplyDeleteAmaechi is an intelligent man, beside more proactive in addressing important issues.
GEJ, has allowed the seed of discord to be sewn. No going back. Mr President please and please allow freedom of association. And that is true democracy.