Despite the accusation that the root of the problems pledging the People Democratic Party originates from the office of the Party Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, yesterday three governors from the northern part of the country met with the National Chairman of the Party at his private residence in Abuja and confronted him with the crisis in the party.
The governors who attended the meeting were Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Rabiu Kwankaso (Kano); and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto).
It is believed that the essence of the meeting was to help the governors articulate their views and find a way out of the problems facing the party. It was gathered that the governors were seeking to having a change in the leadership style currently being employed by the party leadership.
The three governors were among the five from the region that had met political leaders on the crisis in the party. The other two governors are Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).
When asked on Monday what were his views about the consultation by the governors, Tukur replied that he hoped that they (governors) would reveal their findings later.
Though the media aide to Tukur, Mr. Oliver Okpara, claimed that the governors were in his boss’ residence for reconciliation, while releasing a statement after the meeting, he said, the governors apologised to Tukur on behalf of their two colleagues who were not present. But when asked, one of them (governors) denied the claim.
The statement reads in part, “Three out of five northern governors of the PDP , namely Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), had a closed-door meeting with the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, that lasted for several hours and the governors apologised on behalf of the other governors notably, those of Adamawa and Niger states.
“And it was resolved that they have returned to the leadership of the party and that all that happened in the past which involved grievances, accusations and counter-accusations were done because of gap in communication amidst disinformation from some quarters between them and the leadership of the party.
“Having listened to the national chairman, they are now properly informed about the happenings in the party and promised that from henceforth, they will work in harmony and unity with the leadership of the party. They also pledged their loyalty to Dr. Tukur.
“The National Chairman, after listening to them also promised as a father to forgive and forget all that had happened and assured them that the leadership of the party would work with the governors. He stressed that any member of the party that feels aggrieved should utilise all the internal mechanisms and platforms set out by the party.
“The chairman said that their visit was a confirmation of the consultations adopted by the leadership of the party to ensure total reconciliation of aggrieved members as set out by the National Reconciliation Committee headed by Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State.”
When reporters had the opportunity to field questions to one of the governors present at the meeting, he completely denied the report and said none of his group were at the chairman’s residence to apologise or beg.
Rather, he said, they went there to inform him that they were not happy with happenings in the party.
The governor, who sounded angry while speaking on the telephone, said, “How can anyone say we went there to beg or reconcile when in point blank, we told the chairman that the party is drifting under his nose?
“We also told him that this was not a party he met and whether he had come to destabilise the party or not.
“It is wrong and satanic of them to say we were there to beg. You know our antecedent, don’t you? And someone would come and lie that we came to beg?”
He said after reading the press release, his group might have to release their own version of happenings to counter “the lies the chairman’s attack dog is feeding the public.”
It was gathered that the meeting was held at the instance of Tukur.
In a similar occurrence on Thursday, President Goodluck Jonathan hosted three other governors who are : Akpabio, Uduaghan and Obi in his office in what was believed to be further efforts to resolve the crisis rocking the NGF.
Although Akpabio and Uduaghan are members of the PDP, Obi is of the All Progressives Grand Alliance. But all three governors belong to the faction of the NGF led by Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State.
While Akpabio, who is the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, arrived at the Presidential Villa, Abuja a few minutes ahead of the closed-door meeting, Uduaghan and Obi arrived at the same time.
After about an hour, Uduaghan left without speaking with journalists.
Akpabio and Obi however stayed back to join other top government officials in witnessing the conferment of Mali’s highest national honour, the Grand Cross of the National Order of Mali, on Jonathan by the country’s interim President, Prof. Dioncounda Traore.
They also left without talking to journalists.
A source said the meeting was the fallout of the one former President Olusegun Obasanjo had on Monday with PDP governors, especially as it affected the NGF and the PDP.
Their visit came less than 24 hours after Nyako met with the President. Nyako belongs to the NGF faction led by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State.
It was learnt that eight issues were on the agenda of the meeting between Obasanjo and the governors.
The issues were the division within the PDP leadership; disagreement between some governors and Tukur; the NGF cisis; and crises in some state chapters of the PDP. Others were the Anambra governorship election, Rivers State crisis; reconciliation within the PDP ; and the alarm raised by five Northern governors on how to keep the party intact ahead of the 2015 polls.
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