New PDP, governors reject Jonathan’s concession The “ceasefire” between the President and the G-7 governors has collapsed. The governors and leaders of the Kawu Baraje faction of the troubled Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) met on Tuesday night to review their demands. They concluded that President Goodluck Jonathan’s concessions were “not enough” to restore peace to the ruling party. The G-7 and the New PDP vowed to continue their struggle and use their strength in the National Assembly to checkmate the President. The governors and the Baraje faction observed that the concessions were “merely to buy time” to launch a counter-attack. The concessions are: •immediate lifting of the suspension of Governor Rotimi Amaechi by the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP; •return of party structures to governors, including those of Rivers and Adamawa states; •raising a committee to visit Rivers State, like it was with Adamawa State, to build consensus and restore party structure to the governor; •the governors and party leaders should tarry awhile and leave Jonathan to decide the fate of factional National Chairman of PDP, Bamanga Tukur; and •2015 presidential ambition to be discussed at the resumption of talks on October 7. The governors, it was gathered, observed that some members of the presidential team to Sunday’s peace talks were the first to breach the ceasefire. It was learnt that they expressed reservations about the conduct of Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State and the Political Adviser to the President, Ahmed Gulak, for allegedly renouncing some of the concessions. At the end of the meeting, they resolved to: • stick to all the six demands presented by Baraje to the National Assembly on Tuesday; •withstand any form of hostility or desperation by the Presidency; •maintain the New PDP’s majority in the National Assembly to influence policies and decisions in the public and national interest; •tell members of the New PDP not to respond to provocation or intimidation in whatever form; and to •attend the October 7 meeting and insist on no third term for Jonathan. Three of the governors, who confided in our correspondent, said the G-7 and Baraje faction observed that the President was not “keen on the concessions”. One of the governors, who spoke in confidence, said: “It is obvious that we are not near the resolution of the crisis. Water will find its level soon. THE NATION
Posted on: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 21:09:33 +0000
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