Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Akwa
Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, met behind closed doors in
Abuja on Thursday to deliberate on the polarisation of the Peoples
Democratic Party governors.
It was
gathered that at the meeting, Akpabio also solicited Obasanjo’s support
for President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid in 2015.
Akpabio,
who chairs the PDP Governors’ Forum, was said to have used the
opportunity of the meeting which was attended by a PDP chieftain,
Otunba Oyewole Fasawe, to solicit for the intervention of the former
President in ending the differences among the governors.
He was said
to have told Obasanjo that the ongoing acrimony among the governors
was not good for the image of the PDP and its determination to win the
2015 presidential election.
Since the conduct of the Nigeria
Governors’ Forum election, which was won by Rivers State Governor,
Rotimi Amaechi, the PDP governors have continued to exchange hot words
on the pages of newspapers.
While those who supported Amaechi’s
opponent , Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, have continued to
accuse those in the other camp of betrayal, supporters of the winner
said it was victory for democracy.
The outcome of the election had resorted in the NGF having two secretariats.
Also, some of the governors, like Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, have
warned that winning the PDP presidential primary by Jonathan would
not be a guarantee that he would triumph during the presidential
election.
Lamido, who is known to be very close to Obasanjo, is
one of the four governors from the northern region that visited Amaechi
in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. The others were Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano);
Babangida Aliyu (Niger); and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).
At the
meeting, Obasanjo was said to have listened with rapt attention when
Akpabio solicited his intervention to smoothen the relationship between
the President and the governors.
Though the former President was
said not to have made any commitment, it was gathered that Akpabio was
working towards bringing Obasanjo and Jonathan to come together and
discuss.
Akpabio, who is also close to the former President, was
said to have expressed his worry on how the former President had
distanced himself from the activities of the PDP.
A source privy to
the meeting which held at Hilton Hotel said, “It was a brief meeting,
where the former President listened with rapt attention as Akpabio
spoke. But unexpectedly, he did not make any commitment. But I think
that President Jonathan would want to meet with the former
President.”
Obasanjo was said to have immediately left for Zimbabwe
after the meeting while Fasawe went to the headquarters of the PDP for
a discussion with the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur.
Fasawe confirmed the meeting but declined to give details.
“But you know my relationship with Chief Obasanjo,” was the answer he
gave when asked to speak on issues that were discussed at the Hilton
Hotel meeting.
Meanwhile, members of the National Working Committee
of the PDP have been asked not to turn Anambra State into an “oil
well” during the forthcoming governorship election in state.
The
PDP stakeholders in the state, who stated this at a meeting they had
with the leadership of the party at its headquarters, called for
transparency in the conduct of the primary.
The meeting was held as part of preparations for the November 16 governorship election in the state.
The stakeholders were drawn from groups within the party in the state.
Among those who spoke at the meeting were a former Governor of the
state, Chief Chinwoke Mbadinuju; a former Chairman of Police Service
Commission, Chief Simeon Okeke; a former Minister of Health, Prof.
A.B.C. Nwosu; a governorship aspirant, Prince Nicolas Ukachukwu, and
Mrs. Bridget Obi.
Obi said, “It is only in Anambra State that
primaries are held in three different hotels and results would not be
announced until they get to a police station.
“My plea is that, please don’t make Anambra your new oil well. Resist temptations in order to succeed.”
The meeting resolved that all members of the state PDP would work in
unity to ensure victory for the party during the election.
They also
said that all those who have cases in court should withdraw them
failing which the party would take severe disciplinary measures against
them.
While they said that no member of the party in the state
shall institute any suit on any matter affecting the conduct of the
forthcoming congresses and primary election for the November
governorship election, they however warned that the PDP must not be
partial during the polls.
Source: Punch
