In separate telephone interviews with Saturday PUNCH on Thursday, the governors said threats and intimidation could not make them abandon the cause of returning the party to the path of decency.
The aggrieved governors, some party leaders and the President held a meeting on September 15, 2013, where all parties agreed to continue discussions and refrain from making public statements that could further inflame passions.
It was also agreed that other issues which had not been resolved would be left for further deliberations at a meeting slated for October 7, 2013.
‘Rebel’ governors, who attended the meeting were Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Sule Lamido (Jigawa) Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Rabiu Kwankwanso(Kano), and Babangida Aliyu(Niger).
Sokoto State governor, Aliyu Wamakko was the only governor who has identified with the group but was not at the meeting.
Those who represented the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP were: Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) Idris Wada (Kogi) and Liyel Imoke (Cross River).
President Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, were also at the meeting.
Apart from the governors, other members of the “New” PDP at the meeting were: former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar and former governors Abdulahi Adamu (Nasarawa) Bukola Saraki (Kwara) and Shaba Lafiagi (Kwara).
But no sooner had the meeting ended than supporters of parties to the dispute reneged on the ceasefire agreement and began a fresh round of verbal exchanges.
Reacting to this issue, Nyako said the arm-twisting tactics being employed by the Tukur-led PDP was bound to fail.
This, he said, was because intimidation in situations like this would be counterproductive at the end of the day.
Nyako, who spoke through his Director of Press and Public Relations, Ahmad Sajo, said: “Our position in Adamawa has always been that you cannot negotiate with someone by intimidating him.
“You try to create an understanding but they are not exploiting this option. All I am saying is that, let us wait and see.”
He accused the Tukur-led PDP of behaving as if other options do not exist.
He stated, “They are behaving as if Nigeria is PDP and PDP is Nigeria, that is the impression they want to give.”
When contacted, Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, said: “No comments.”
On his part, Amaechi, who spoke through the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, said it was better for the PDP to use the carrot rather than the stick approach.
He explained that it was wrong for the party to threaten to discipline the aggrieved governors if they failed to show up at the October 7, 2013 meeting scheduled by President Goodluck Jonathan.
He stated that though the aggrieved governors, including Amaechi, were ready to attend the meeting with the President, they would not be coerced into doing so.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has insisted that the alleged one term agreement claimed to have been entered into by President Goodluck Jonathan only exists in the imagination of Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State.
The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, said this in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Thursday.
He was reacting to a fresh statement credited to the governor where Aliyu said that it was moral to stick to agreement.
PUNCH Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
Shemless leaders when nigerians are sofering deing every day and der faithing for power.
ReplyDeletena him my brother
DeleteCan dis fools think of wat dey hv promised d nation other dan their personal interest, greed n lost 4 power... D leaders of dis gr8 nation r sick n hv low IQ. Hw could dey be tinkin of who should hold power come 2015 n d present Education sector is dyin... Pls idiot leaders tink twice.
ReplyDeleteWhat OFFENSE did my DADDY TUKUR commit that this REBEL GOVERNOR & their FOOT STOOL AMEACHI will not let BABA to REST. If they want to be PDP chairman let them resign as GOVERNORS now.
ReplyDeletePls MAZA( DADDY TUKUR) chale su. Du kansu mulkachie! Hmmmm.
What OFFENSE did my DADDY TUKUR commit that this REBEL GOVERNOR & their FOOT STOOL AMEACHI will not let BABA to REST. If they want to be PDP chairman let them resign as GOVERNORS now.
ReplyDeletePls MAZA( DADDY TUKUR) chale su. Du kansu mulkachie! Baa su da LAFIYA. Hmmmm.
Imagine o, dis pple diverted their attention frm ASUU strike to PDP disorder. Well, God dey o and wil sure help us out sum day.
ReplyDelete