The meeting of elders to resolve the party’s crises was slated for today in Abuja.
It was “technically” called off last night at the Presidency’s prompting, it was learnt.
President Goodluck Jonathan, it was said, advised the elders to shun the meeting, following intelligence reports that Obasanjo was behind the crises.
The former President could not be reached last night.
Among the elders expected at the meeting are former chairmen and notable leaders.
A pre-meeting session of some governors at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge went on for hours last night.
It was not clear what was discussed, but the news about the Obasanjo mission may have been broken.
“All was well, until this evening when we learnt the President was opposed to Obasanjo presiding at the meeting,” a source said, adding: “He believes that Obasanjo is the architect of the crises; he shouldn’t be called to settle it and be seen as a peacemaker.”
The meeting slated for next Tuesday will hold. President Jonathan will preside.
Brickbats continued to fly yesterday amid shaky efforts to rescue the PDP.
A group loyal to President Jonathan also accused Obasanjo of being the architect of the crises. He should call his associates in the Kawu Baraje faction of the party to order, the Media Network for Transformation (MNT) said.
The group said Obasanjo could not continue to be the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob at the same time.
In a statement in Abuja, signed by its Coordinator, Mr. Goodluck Ebelo, the MNT urged Obasanjo to either renounce his associates in the New PDP or be treated like those rated as rebels by the party.
The group said “no arbiter, who is the guiding light of the rebels can make peace”.
To the President’s camp, Obasanjo is the unseen hand pulling the string of crises in the ruling party. There is suspicion in the Presidency over his peace mission.
Some governors were meeting last night at the Rivers Governor’s Lodge in Abuja ahead of today’s meeting.
National Chairman Bamanga Tukur yesterday described members of the Kawu Baraje faction as “prodigal sons” who would be accepted back into the fold, if they retraced their steps.
But the Baraje faction told Tukur that his “time is up”.
The statement said: “We call on former President Olusegun Obasanjo to call his associates to order. Apart from being their sponsor, the rebel governors draw their inspiration from him.
“Apart from numerous clandestine meetings, former President Obasanjo started his public romance with the rebel flank when he became unavoidably absent at this year’s Democracy Day celebration in Abuja, but vigorously participated in the day’s activities in Dutse, Jigawa State. That was followed by the rebel governors’ visit to his Abeokuta home.
“Then came last Saturday, and Chief Obasanjo’s mischief literarily flew over the Eagle Square venue of the Special Convention. Unavoidably absent, again, he was to turn up the next day in church, at the Presidential Villa, made a few platitudinous remarks on the need for a peaceful resolution of the crisis and thereafter called a meeting . His meeting failed and will continue to fail.
“Obasanjo cannot continue to be hands of Esau and the voice of Jacob at the same time. No arbiter, who is the guiding light of the rebels, can make peace. Peace, in this matter, will continue to elude President Obasanjo because his activities are the very antithesis of the conditions precedent to peace.”
The group said it suspected that Obasanjo cannot resolve the crisis in the party with alleged partisan interest.
The statement added: “Unfortunately, his eight years in office provides no road map to resolving a political dispute. All that can be gleaned from the debris of his time in power are abuse of institutions of State in shutting down dissent, hounding political opponents into prison and forcing a party chairman to resign …. Little wonder that such baleful legacy dogs his attempt at making peace.
“President Obasanjo has to come out publicly to renounce his ties with the seven governors who are trying to impose their will on the remaining 29 states and the Federal Capital Territory or acknowledge them and be treated like them.”
President Jonathan is yet to speak on his political future, but MNT said he is free to run again. It said: “The governors are welcome to contest the PDP primaries, individually or present a candidate. That’s democracy. But for persons, who themselves, stood for elections for their second terms to demand that Mr. President cannot avail himself such amenity is not only rude but feudal.”
Obasanjo’s media aide Vitalis Ortese declined to comment on the statement credited to the group last night.
“I cannot speak on what a faceless group is saying”, he told our reporter on the telephone. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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God is watching. A river will soon dry up.
ReplyDeletehe(baba)gave the president to you just like wike proclaim he did to rotimi.wike is giving rotimi sleepless nite so be careful of him (baba ) let him not tour the part of wike. your third term is watching.
ReplyDeletethis is real betrayal and hypocrisy at the highest level. trust the ofe manus
ReplyDeleteYORUBAS ARE BETRAYALS
ReplyDeleteA river that forget its source is ready to dry up. Obasanjo took GEj from to nowhere and imposed him up us, he was never a bad leader then, brought him to lime light in political life, thereafter he (GEJ) turned obasanjo to his enemy. after all GEJ would have spent six years as president by 2014, what else does he want.
ReplyDeleteam not a politician, but a concern citizen, personally I mobilised people in my community to vote for GEJ, bcos we thought his not hungry for power, which is obvious that he is desperate for it. our peaceful demonstration in Lagos 2011 he ordered soldiers to disrupt it. We are waiting for another election to come to show gej that masses has power.
ReplyDeleteA river that forget its source is ready to dry up
ReplyDeleteJoshua deriye of plateau. Fayose of Ekiti. Alamiyesegha of bayelsa you name all were badly dealt with by obj. Atiku was another. Why is obj supporting rebels
ReplyDeleteGEJ IS FARMING IN THE LAND OF CONFUSION AND DESTRUCTION ALREADY.
ReplyDeleteTime will tell. I believe in 2027 people like OBJ, IBB & many old politicians will be HISTORY. I hope their likes will not replace them.
ReplyDeleteFunny Nation with very truly confused politicians.
“Obasanjo created the problem, he should go and solve it,” Mr. Jonathan was quoted as saying at a meeting
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS REAL:
Yeah OBJ created the problem by imposing two two sick men on Nigeria; one need had a defective kidney (Yaradua) and eventually died and the other (GEJ) still need a brain transplant.
OBJ needs to right these wrongs; he should return the animals back to the Otuoke zoo he brought them from ASAP
Jonathan is a mumu of d highest order
ReplyDeleteGEJ which wala come be dis u dont want to leave d site,o do but d 7 governors ar after d site so we shall see wat wil happen,naija talakawa de whoch.
ReplyDelete...ƔoU̶̲̥̅̊я̩̥̊ worst enemy could be ƔoU̶̲̥̅̊я̩̥̊ best friend and ƔoU̶̲̥̅̊я̩̥̊ best friend, ƔoU̶̲̥̅̊я̩̥̊ worst enemy...some will eat and drink with Ў☺ΰ, but behind this, then try to eliminate Ў☺ΰ...
ReplyDelete†ђε jar raster Bob Marley had already philosophised Ȋ̝̊̅†. Ȋ̝̊̅† is not surprising what GEJ and OBJ are dramatising. †ђɑ̤̥̈̊†'s really makes Ȋ̝̊̅† politics...else Ȋ̝̊̅† becomes a childs play. But Ȋ̝̊̅† is crude here in 9ja.
Making Rivers State ungovernable for Amechi? I guess it is a regrettable mistake.
ReplyDeleteThe spirit of innocent OMORITIMI CHIBUIKE AMECHI will never let them see or feel peace in their lives until they come back to their senses and bow down for Amechi for forgiveness.
Otherwise.......
Bow down to tbe almighty Amaechi?. You made me to laugh. Since tbat is your prayer, may you in this life bow down to your yonger ones. Amaechi is danci ng to the drumbeats of evil men and playing god.by the time he would realised it, it would be too late and nemssis will catch up with him
DeleteThat is why you are anonymous and you shall remain unknown for live.
ReplyDeleteDo you expect soothsayer to tell you that Amechi is mightier than his enemies?
They are feeling it and doom is already in place which means, we shall see how it ends.