The truce talks between elders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and governors elected on the platform of the party will on Friday (today) continue in Abuja.
The meeting, initiated by a former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, is aimed at seeking a solution to issues that led to the factionalisation of the PDP.
Six PDP governors had last Saturday stormed out of the party’s mini-convention in Abuja and joined some aggrieved prominent members of the party, including the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to announce the emergence of a faction known as the New PDP.
The governors are Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Aliyu Babangida (Niger); Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); and Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano).
They named a former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, as the leader of the faction. An ex- National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Mohammed Bugaje, was appointed the national chairman; Dr. Sam Jaja, deputy national chairman; and Prince Olagunsoye, national secretary.
Jolted by the development, President Goodluck Jonathan initiated a series of reconciliatory meetings, first with Obasanjo and then the PDP governors.
The meeting Jonathan held with the governors did not reach any conclusion as it was postponed till next Tuesday to enable the parties to consult more on the crisis.
Obasanjo, who had earlier appealed to the parties to maintain the peace, said elders of the PDP would meet on Friday(today) to mediate in the crisis.
Expected at the meeting that will take place in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, are former a Vice-President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, a former National Chairman of the party, Chief Solomon Lar; and ex-Military President Ibrahim Babangida.
Some other people considered to be founding members of the party like the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, are also expected to be in attendance.
In spite of the ongoing peace efforts, the leaders of the parallel factions on Thursday continued their war of words.
While the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, described those behind the Bugaje-led faction as prodigal sons, Oyinlola, described Tukur as a dictator.
Apparently worried by the verbal attacks, Anenih called for caution among them.
But barely 24 hours after he threatened about 124 National Assembly members backing the New PDP with the loss of their seats, Tukur described Abubakar, Bugaje, Oyinlola and others as prodigal sons who might be left behind by the PDP.
He spoke at the opening of a seminar jointly organised by the offices of National Woman and National Youth Leaders of the PDP for all women and youth leaders in the party drawn from the 36 states of the federation.
The PDP chairman said, “What is going on in the party is something of concern but it is also something that can happen in a family.
“You can quarrel but it should be resolved within the house not outside.If a son or daughter leaves home, he or she is called a prodigal son or daughter. If they go and come back, we will say welcome back prodigal son/daughter. We will tell you, you are still accepted because in the PDP, a son or daughter is always regarded as such.
“But of course, if you are coming back , you will also know the consequences of taking a wrong step. You have to reconnect and correct your wrong step. If you don’t, the PDP train will move without you.”
The faction led by Baraje has however said it would slam contempt charges against Tukur.
It said its lawyers would press a contempt charge against him for flouting the orders of a Lagos High Court in Ikeja which asked both sides to maintain the status quo pending the resolution of the case before it.
The faction, in a statement by Oyinlola condemned the press conference in Abuja on wednesday where Tukur threatened to sack the members of the National Assembly who have declared their support for it.
It said, “We have asked our lawyers to press contempt charges against Tukur because his statement was made in clear contempt of the orders of the Lagos High Court which three days ago asked both sides to maintain the status quo. We will ask the court to commit him to jail for his disdain for the law and the judicial system.
“We have always been saying it that Tukur represents everything that must not be seen in a democratic organisation.
“His statement demonstrates not just impunity but also lawlessness and crass ignorance of the tenets of the law and democratic ethos. Tukur displayed his disdain for law and order with his threat to order the arrest of law-abiding persons in a democracy.
“Fortunately, our country is a democracy under the rule of law and not under the rule of man. The police and other security agencies cannot be used to further such an agenda as being nurtured in the dictatorial mind of Tukur.
“Again, we believe only an ignorant person would threaten to sack elected Senators and Representatives for staying on the side of truth, justice and fairness.
“Tukur needs to be reminded that members of the National Assembly were elected by the people of Nigeria and are not his appointees who he could dismiss like the minions in his private residence.”
Oyinlola challenged Tukur to realise that his reign of terror was over in the PDP.
“We challenge him to call out those who are with him in his clear journey to perdition even as we add that Tukur should come to terms with the reality of the end of his reign of terror, impunity, dictatorship and lawlessness in our party,” he added.
Fearing that the angry statements by the factional PDP leaders may stall the ongoing reconciliatory efforts by Jonathan and Obasanjo, Anenih called for an end to open confrontations by the parties involved.
He said in a statement entitled, “A Call for Caution,” in Abuja on Thursday, that making preemptive comments amid reconciliation process was disrespectful to Jonathan and the PDP leadership at whose instance the reconciliation efforts were being made.
The BOT chairman added, “It is unfortunate that while the reconciliation efforts are being made, some of our members are making inflammatory statements, intimidating one another and issuing threats of court actions. Such actions do nothing but harm the efforts at reconciliation.
“Like a good family, we must avoid open confrontation and allow the leadership of the party to effect genuine reconciliation.
“Conflict is not new to the PDP and, as in the past, I am confident that, in spite of the differences, the current one will be resolved, with the party coming out even stronger and more united than ever.
“To make preemptive statements while the process of reconciliation is still on, is disrespectful not only to the President but also to the party leadership. Such statements undermine the party and the enormous efforts being made under the transformation agenda of Mr. President.
“I therefore call on all members of our great party to exercise restraint throughout this trying period.”
But a group, known as Congress for Equality, which met at the residence of Chief Edwin Clark in Abuja, asked Anenih to distance himself from the aggrieved governors.
It said that it was wrong for him (Anenih) to say that the aggrieved governors had genuine complaints.
A statement issued at the end of the meeting and signed by Senator Ameh Ebute advised Anenih to join hands with Tukur to support the party and Jonathan.
A former Police Affairs Minister, Maj.Gen. David Jemibewon and Gen. I.B.M. Haruna attended the meeting.
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/46365.html
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/46365.html
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