Attempt to reconcile the warring factions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday by elders of the party seems not to have achieved any tangible result. Indication towards this emerged as the two groups involved in the imbroglio did not show any sign of peace even after the elders led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo had met with them for hours at Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja. Aside from Obasanjo, four other prominent members of the elder’s group who were at the meeting were former military President Ibrahim Babangida, PDP Board of Trustees Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih, and two former PDP National Chairmen, Senators Banabas Gemade and Ahmadu Alli. PDP elders met with the two groups at different locations in the hotel. There was a joint meeting with the two groups before they were separated to meet and take their positions. While the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP stayed in Benue Hall, the Kawu Baraje New PDP was at the Kaduna Hall. The Obasanjo-led elders were seen shuttling between the two locations throughout the five hours duration of the meeting. Though Tukur was said to have made preparations to attend the meeting alone as he was asked to do so by the elders, he was however said to have brought some of his supporters who are invariably President Goodluck Jonathan’s foot soldiers. He eventually attended the meeting in company with Governor Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom and Jonah Jang of Plateau, along with Henry Akitoye, the acting national secretary of the Tukur faction. His traducer, Baraje, was accompanied by Governors Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto and Rotimi Amaechi of River. Though both parties were not called together for another joint meeting after their different meetings, it was gathered that the elders were not too comfortable with the strict position taken by both parties, as none was ready to shift ground. Sources told Saturday Independent that Obasanjo and his team however, pleaded with the Baraje group not to open the new secretariat it was planning to. Briefing journalists immediately after the meetings, Obasanjo said: “I thank you for exercising patience. You have seen five of us. As select elders of the party we have taken it upon ourselves to prevent the worst from happening to our party. “Two of us, (Solomon) Lar and (Alex) Ekwueme are abroad and could not join us but we are carrying them along. But suffice to say that there is family dispute within the PDP which we want to stem the tide of and prevent our party from going to the brink. “And I want to say that we have met with the two sides of the family. We have listened to them and of course we are going to put our heads together and go on from there.” But signs of discontent at the meeting emanated some minutes after the meeting was brought to a close as the Baraje faction left the for the venue of the planned secretariat which they were planning to open. Baraje and Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, shortly after leaving the meeting venue went straight to the location of the secretariat of their faction at Number 4, Oyi River Crescent, Maitama. The two-storey building secretariat has Plot number 3206A. Although the signboard placed on the side of the building was covered, the gate had the PDP colour of green, white and red. Renovation work was still ongoing at the building. Earlier reports that the Baraje faction would open its secretariat however did not come to pass as the group merely inspected it and left. Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who walked out of the PDP convention at the Eagle Square, Abuja along with six of his colleagues and others last Saturday, has warned that if the leadership of the party failed to address their grievances, they will defect to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). A BBC Hausa report monitored by Saturday Independent quoted Kwankwaso as saying that they have a wide range of options if the Tuesday’s meeting fails to meet their expectation. According to the governor, one of such options was a move to, a party he claimed their stalwarts were part of the founding team. His words: We are still members of PDP but if the party fails to resolve the ongoing crisis, we have different options one of which is to declare for another party. If the leaders are careful enough in their handling of the situation, there will be peaceful resolution but if we find out that they are trying to be mischievous, we will have no problem in joining the APC, after all, they are our stalwarts and are our people.” Kwankwaso revealed that apart from the seven governors in fold of the breakaway PDP, there are others who are in discreet solidarity with the decision to split from the Tukur faction and are only waiting for the right moment to announce their support openly. The six other governors in the New PDP are Amaechi, Wamakko, Lamido, Muazu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara). Reacting to the development, National Publicity Secretary of APC, Lai Mohammed during a chat with our reporter said “our doors are open to them. We are ready to accept them. We will work with them to rediscover the potential of the nation to end the misrule of PDP. “No political party that is worth its salt will reject free manna from heaven. We are the only alternative to PDP and we are ready to work with many Nigerians to rid the nation of bad governance and corruption.” Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered parties in the dispute to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the determination of a suit filed by Tukur. Specifically, Tukur had on Friday through his Counsel Tochukwu Onwubufor, SAN, dragged the Baraje-led splinter group before the court asking it to restrain him and his breakaway executive committee members from parading themselves as the national executives of the party. Cited as respondents alongside Baraje in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dr Sam Sam Jaja, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. When the application was moved, the court presided over by Justice Elvis Chukwu ordered that the respondents be put on notice and that the notice should be served through substituted means. According to him, “although I am not afraid of granting an ex parte application especially when it is obvious of causing anarchy, however, I owe a duty to maintain a balance. What I want to do is order that the respondents are put on notice”. The court also ordered that parties should maintain the status quo pending the determination of the suit. Justice Chukwu consequently fixed September 12 for the hearing of the motion on notice. It would be recalled that the PDP splinter group led by Baraje had accused the Tukur faction of contempt of court for issuing a threat to punish all party members who were against his (Tukur’s) leadership of the party. National Secretary of the splinter group otherwise known as New PDP, Oyinlola, had in a statement in Abuja on Thursday said the comment made by Tukur at a press conference on Wednesday was contemptuous because a Lagos High Court had earlier ordered all parties to maintain status quo pending when the issue before it will be finally decided. Therefore, Oyinlola said lawyers have been briefed to press a contempt charge against Tukur for flouting the orders of the court. Tukur himself fired back, though, describing leaders of the group, including Atiku Abubakar, seven PDP governors, Baraje, Oyinlola, and National Assembly members as “prodigal sons and daughters.”
Posted on: Sat, 07 Sep 2013 12:58:07 +0000
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