The Special Adviser to the President on
Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, said this in an interview with one of
our correspondents while explaining the President’s stand on the
formation of a faction of the PDP by seven governors and some chieftains
of the party at the party’s mini convention in Abuja last Saturday.
Gulak also told the aggrieved governors to concentrate on governance and stop overheating the polity.
The presidential aide explained that
Jonathan was in support of various reconciliatory efforts by the
leadership of the party. He, however, said the President would only
accept “reasonable terms” in the efforts to reconcile with a faction of
the party called, New PDP.
Gulak said that conditions such as the
governors’ call on the President to stop the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission from probing them was ridiculous and unheard of,
saying the President would not accept such.
On Jonathan’s stand on the peace moves
initiated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, he said as the leader
of the PDP, Jonathan had no objection to any move that could restore
peace to the party. He added that the President had no reason to believe
that Obasanjo was behind the governors since they were matured enough
to take personal decisions.
On whether the President would support
the move by Dr. BamangaTukur to declare the seats of pro-New PDP
lawmakers vacant, the presidential aide said since members of the
National Working Committee were elected to run the affairs of the party,
Jonathan would not interfere in their assignment.
Gulak said it was not true that the
President was ready to negotiate with all the aggrieved governors,
except Governor Rotimi Amaechi, saying Jonathan’s peace move was all
inclusive.
He said, “The President as the leader of
the party has no objection to any peace move either from inside or
outside. He always encourages peace talks; he prefers solving
disagreement through dialogue. He believes in peace.
“President Jonathan has no reason to
believe that Chief Obasanjo is behind the governors. Obasanjo is there
as a father and as an elder statesman. That is the belief of the
President.
“The governors are mature enough. They
can take decisions. The President won’t point accusing fingers at
anybody. What we are concerned about is that these governors should
concentrate on governance in their states and stop overheating the
polity because we know that all these moves are about 2015 election.
“On the declaration of the seats of
lawmakers sympathetic to the splinter group vacant, the party has made a
statement. The President is not the one running the party. Members of
the party’s NWC are independent-minded people that have the mandate to
run the party.
“They should be allowed to run the
affairs of the party. We will be running away from the fact if we say
that the party cannot run its affairs.
“I read about one of the conditions
reportedly being given by the governors that the President should stop
the EFCC from investigating them. How can the President stop the EFCC
from doing its job? That is ridiculous, it is unheard of. The EFCC is
independent, the President cannot do that.
“What has peace moves got to do with
EFCC? Agencies of government cannot be stopped from doing their work.
Stopping EFCC means that the President can also stop the army, police,
navy and others from doing their works. If that happens, what will
people say?
“It is not true that the President is
not ready to discuss with Governor Amaechi. Peace move is all inclusive,
depending on reasonable and acceptable terms.”
But the Governor of Adamawa State,
Murtala Nyako, has said neither he nor any of his colleagues in the new
Peoples Democratic Party has made any unreasonable demand.
He said this in response to a statement by Gulak that the President would not accede to unreasonable demands.
Nyako who spoke through his Director of Press, Ahmad Sajo, told Saturday PUNCH that the members of the new PDP were only asking for a return to constitutional order within the party.
He said, “What we are asking for is
simple. All the decisions that were taken that were arbitrary or in
breach of the constitution must be reversed and constitutional order
restored within the PDP. This is the minimum we ask.
“The sanctity of the constitution must be respected once they do that; there will be no crisis in the PDP.
“I don’t see what is unreasonable about
this demand because even the President will not be President if there is
no constitutional order.
“I don’t think the President will say a return to constitutional order is unreasonable.
“All we are saying is that the breach of
the constitution must be reversed and subsequent decisions should be
taken in accordance with the party’s constitution and the constitution
of the land. If they do that, there will be no crisis.
“Anywhere there is a crisis, there is a breach of law, why do they breach the law, it is because of self interest.
“I don’t think asking the President to
compel the National Chairman of PDP to act in tandem with the
constitution of the party is unreasonable.”
Two other aggrieved governors however spoke to Saturday PUNCH in confidence as a sign of respect for party leaders engaged in the on-going reconciliatory efforts.
In separate interviews with one of our
correspondents, they accused “some elements” within the Presidency of
exacerbating the crisis by issuing “threats and spreading falsehood” in
the media.
One of the governors said, “What is happening today is quite unfortunate.
“Never has the presidency as an institution been so desecrated. This level of pettiness is unparalleled.
“We are being vilified and called all
sorts of names for demanding that our party practise what it has always
preached-democracy.
“I will not dignify some of the claims
in the media that we are making personal demands with an answer, because
it is not worth it.
“However, to say the President will
contest the election, let the heavens fall is not the way to go. No
sacrifice is too great to make for the survival of this nation.”
His counterpart who spoke in a similar fashion said, “It is really sad.
“Look at it, by 2015 this man would have spent six years and there is nothing concrete to show for his rule.
“We have never had a President so
divisive like this one. It is either he is using religion, ethnicity or
unguarded utterances to polarise the nation.
“On top of this, he has surrounded
himself with aides who lack respect and are so blinded by what they are
getting that they do not care if the nation collapses. This nation is
greater than the ambition of one man.”
When asked to respond to questions about
whether Adamawa State was being investigated by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, and if governor Murtala Nyako was part of
those allegedly blackmailing the Presidency because of the activities of
the EFCC, the Director of the Press to the Adamawa State governor,
Ahmad Sajo, simply said, “I am not aware.”
PUNCH
PUNCH
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