Governor Godswill Akpabio
Relief may have come President Goodluck Jonathan's way, as the seven aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who broke away two weeks ago to form a splinter group, may have shelved one of their demands that the president must not seek re-election in 2015.
Fielding questions from reporters at the State House yesterday, the Akwa Ibom State Governor and Chairman of the PDP Governor’ Forum, Godswill Akpabio, after a meeting with the president, said at the peace meeting on Sunday night, the aggrieved governors agreed that Jonathan's ambition to run for another term in 2015 was not negotiable.
It has also emerged that one of the decisions reached at the Sunday meeting was that the suspension slammed on Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, by the party would soon be lifted.
During his briefing to the press, Akpabio said: “Well, what you heard is true. The PDP family is coming back together. We have started a process of total reconciliation and of course you know the house is very large, very robust and PDP is very entrenched and there is no way we can have internal wrangling without being able to resolve.
“So, clearly speaking, it was just a family disagreement and the processes are in place now to bring everybody on board and Nigerians are very happy.
“I have received a lot of calls from party faithful across the entire country and people are happy, stakeholders are happy that the family is coming back as one strong family."
On the conditions for reconciliation among the warring sides, Akpabio added: “The disagreement differs from state to state. So it wasn't as if there was a major issue with all PDP governors.
“There were few states that had difficulties. Some states complained about their delegates not being allowed entry to Eagles Square, some complained about party positions, and some had court issues.
“But these are all things that we cannot allow to affect the fabric of the party, and of course by implication, the fabric of the nation because the PDP is Nigeria.
“We have been in power for the past 14 years and Nigerians have confidence that this is the only truly national party that expresses the true aspirations of all and sundry and of course it is also the only party that is not owned by any individual.
“It’s a party that belongs to all Nigerians. Even the market woman in Sokoto claims ownership of the PDP and of course the same thing with the trader in Akwa Ibom State. The same thing with somebody in the South-west and the same thing in South-east.
“So the PDP is Nigeria and so anything that affects the PDP will affect the entire country. And so that is why we commend the president for the peace process, for his humility, and for his decision to be a father to all and for behaving like a good shepherd where if one single sheep goes astray, he abandons the 99 to go and look for that one.
“That was the spirit and everybody is coming on board now. That process is going to be concluded on the 7th of October. We are all very excited.”
On the other demands of the aggrieved governors, which include the removal of the party's National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and a presidential order of respite from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Akpabio said they were issues of processes and those too would be resolved very soon.
According to him, “That is why I said that the processes are on, and of course on the issue of 2015, both sides agreed that it wasn't an issue for discussion because every single person has a right to have an ambition.
“Some of the governors may have their ambition, like I have my ambition to go to Senate and you can't discuss anything about another person's ambition. You are the only person that can discuss your own ambition. Ambition is personal. So both parties agreed to that.
“On all other issues, we have put in place methodologies of settling them and of course it’s a process issue. The process is on. It was in the first place an internal issue of the PDP and so we are going to settle it internally and if you want to know how it is going to be settled, then you have to stop being a journalist to join the PDP family.”
On the opposition feasting on the PDP crisis, the Akwa Ibom governor said the controversy was too minor for the opposition to feast on.
“Were they waiting to see the party disintegrate? Which opposition are you talking about, is it APC? Well, you know the only thing I can see for the APC in 2015 is that they will change their name.
“They normally change names. That is the only thing I know. I think they used to be AC, later they changed to ACN, then of course they have now linked it with CPC and have turned to APC, and by 2015 it will be Panadol.”
Meanwhile, it has emerged that one of the agreements reached at the meeting between the president and the Group of Seven Governors (G7 Governors) on Sunday is the lifting of the suspension slammed on Amaechi by the party.
This formed part of the crucial decisions that were reached at the meeting, following which a long adjournment was agreed to by both sides before their next meeting slated for October 7.
THISDAY was reliably informed that the long adjournment was premised on the need to give time for the implementation of the issues agreed to by both sides during Sunday’s meeting.
Since the factionalisation of the party, the president and other governors considered loyal to him have been holding a series of meetings with the G7 governors.
According to a party source, it was agreed that since the mandatory 30 days had expired since Amaechi’s suspension in May, this year, without a counter directive from the National Working Committee (NWC) or National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP, the party should lift the suspension to enable peace to reign.
In return, it is expected that the aggrieved governor would withdraw all cases instituted against the party, to enable the ongoing reconciliation to be completed before the next meeting on October 7.
Also, the source said the party structures so far taken away from the G7 governors would be returned to them in recognition of the fact that they “are the leaders of the party in the state”.
The source added that in this regard, it is expected that the party structures in Adamawa, Rivers and Kano States would be returned to the state governors before the next meeting.
As a prelude to this, the meeting agreed that a high-powered committee should visit Rivers State to work on the restoration of the party structures.
According to the source, the fate of the national chairman of the party was also extensively discussed and it was resolved that the governors and party leaders should leave Tukur’s fate to the president to handle.
THISDAY also learnt that prior to reaching a resolution on some of the sticky points, it was Governors Idris Wada of Kogi, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa and Liyel Imoke of Cross River, who had pleaded that the president should not be stampeded into not contesting, as it would not augur well for the party and the country.
The president had also accused the Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, who read the communiqué after the meeting, of misinforming Nigerians, stating that there was no time he said at any forum that he would not contest the 2015 presidential election.
But Aliyu reminded the president of his statements in Ethiopia in 2010, at the PDP caucus held at the Presidential Villa, and in the United States of America, when he repeatedly said he would not contest for a second term.
The president, however, countered Babangida, saying he was talking of a six-year single term.
THISDAY
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