The
peace move by elders of the Peoples Democratic Party, led by former
President Olusegun Obasanjo aimed at restoring peace in the troubled
party may have failed.
Obasanjo and other senior members of the
party met with its two factions at Hilton Hotel, Abuja on Friday to
discuss how to settle the differences among the warring factions. But
both parties insisted that their conditions for peace must be satisfied
before the party could move forward.
However, there was a mild drama before
the commencement of the meeting as both the Governor of Rivers State,
Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, and his counterpart in Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule
Lamido, told a lady believed to be one of Obasanjo’s children that Dr.
Bamanga Tukur, was no longer the party’s chairman when she referred to
Tukur as the PDP chairman.
Those at the meeting, apart from
Obasanjo, who tried to mediate were a former military dictator, Gen.
Ibrahim Babangida (retd.); former chairmen of the party, Dr. Ahmadu
Ali, Sen. Barnabas Gemade and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the party,
Chief Tony Anenih.
Both Chief Solomon Lar and Alex Ekwueme were absent at the meeting as they were said to have travelled outside the country.
The National Chairman of the party, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, also led some members of his National Working Committee to the meeting.
Members of the New PDP, who were at the
meeting were its National Chairman, Alhaji Kawu Baraje; National
Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam
Jaja; former Governor of Gombe State, Sen. Danjuma Goje; and the former
Governor of Kwara State, Sen. Bukola Saraki.
Others are the Governor of Jigawa
State., Alhaji Sule Lamido; Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi
and the Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko.
Governors who came on the side of the
Tukur-led PDP included Liyel Imoke(Cross River), Idris Wada(Kogi),
Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Theordore Orji(Abia), Godswill Akpabio(Akwa
Ibom), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Ibrahim Shem(Katsina) and Isa
Yuguda(Bauchi).
Sources close to the meeting said that
the members of the New PDP demanded the sacking of Tukur as the chairman
of the party and the recognition of Amaechi as the Chairman of the
Nigeria Governors’ Forum by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Saturday Punch learnt that they also demanded that the suspension placed on Amaechi by the party be lifted.
It was also leant that the group
demanded the recognition of the executive of Adamawa State chapter of
the party led by Alhaji Minjinyawa Kugama as against the one being led
by Joel Madaki, which Tukur installed.
It was also learnt that the group
insisted that a new convention must be held to elect members of the
National Working Committee of the party since the August 31 convention,
according to the group, lacked credibility.
However, the Tukur group was said to have insisted that most of the demands of the other group could not be met.
For example, it was gathered that the
Tukur group claimed that the NWC was validly elected and that the
decision to leave office would be determined by individuals.
On the suspension of Amaechi, it was
gathered that the group said the governor’s court case was an impediment
to the lifting of the suspension.
They also said that only the President was capable of deciding whether to recognise Amaechi as the chairman of the NGF or not.
Saturday PUNCH also learnt that
President Jonathan might ask the governors to back him in his second
term ambition before he could respond to some of the demands of the New
PDP, especially the sacking of Tukur.
A governor, who was part of the meeting
but who craved anonymity said, “My brother, we are still at the same
point. We have not moved an inch away from the point”.
Another one said, “Well, with what has
happened, it will be difficult to say we have achieved anything. But we
wait to see. We are waiting to see the report of the Obasanjo’s
committee.’’
Before the commencement of the meeting, a
lady was seen greeting Tukur and was holding his hand, but Lamido asked
her to come to him.
The lady, who is said to be one of Obasanjo’s daughters, told him that she was busy with the chairman.
The following dialogue followed:
The lady: I’m coming sir. I’m with our chairman.
Lamido: Who is your chairman? You mean our former chairman? We have a brand new chairman now.
Amaechi: Yes o, we have a brand new
chairman who understands party politics and the constitution of the
party. He knows that when a member is suspended and the suspension is
not ratified by NEC, that suspension has become invalid.’’
During the conversation, Tukur could not utter any word as he was seen looking at the governors with awe.
When the meeting started, the Obasanjo
group first met with Tukur and the governors on their side before
meeting with the members of the New PDP.
None of the members of the Tukur group spoke with journalists after the meeting.
Also, members of the New PDP refused to speak with journalists after meeting with Obasanjo and members of his group.
When prodded further to speak, Lamido
merely asked journalists to wait and speak with Obasanjo and other
leaders later. He said, “Talk to our bosses; they are all inside. They
would speak with you after, please.”
Speaking with journalists at the end of
the meeting, which ended at 2-58 pm. Obasanjo, said that he and members
of his mediating team were trying to salvage the party.
Obasanjo, who spoke in company with
Babangida, Anenih, Gemade and Ali said, “Gentlemen of the press, I thank
you for exercising patience. Let me point out, you have seen five of us
as select elders of the party.
“We have taken it upon ourselves to
prevent the worst from happening to our dear party. Two of our members
are abroad and could not join us.
“They are Solomon Lar and Alex Ekwueme
but we are carrying them along in whatever reports we are making, but
suffice it to say that there is a family dispute within the PDP, which
we want to stem the tide of going to the brink.
“And I want to say that we have met with
the two sides of the family, we have listened to them and of course we
are going to put our heads together and go on from there.”
Meanwhile, the national secretariat of the New PDP is almost ready and might be inaugurated next week.
Our correspondent, who visited the
office, which is located at Plot 4, Oyi River Crescent, Maitama, reports
that the building is undergoing renovation.
Already, the gate and the kerbs in the
building have been painted in the traditional colour of the party, which
is red, white and green.
The road leading to the secretariat was
also undergoing renovation as interlocking tiles were being laid when
our correspondent visited it on Friday.
Punch
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Confusion shall reign in their mist.
ReplyDeleteA kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. This is an indication that PDP iS winding off and will soon lose its hold as mega party.
ReplyDeleteSigns of end time
ReplyDeleteThe party has succeeded in fooling the Nation for so long so its time for them to wind up My prayer is that all of them should sink in their shit
ReplyDeleteFrom Obj to Aneni to Tukur to IBB are all fraud
if they put you into that position u no go fraud.....? who is clean in thos country its bcs we sont have access to it we are talking like that...or did u think those who are fighting for new party are fughting for this country or there pocket? i pray the new party win we shall all see the diff may be they we revert pump price to N12 or they we say each head shld go to the bank to be colecting salary....its excusses they we continue to be give if they got there
ReplyDeleteEkwueme please wash your hands off this filth caller PDP now and apologise for your role in creating this gang of mobsters. Your an old man so be honest.
ReplyDeleteEkwueme can never get involved in this; he is a man of honor; a Nigerian indeed.
ReplyDelete