State of the Nation: Pressure on ex-leaders to meet Jonathan •Why new party may emerge from PDP TOP stakeholders across the country spent the greater part of last week networking North to South on how to save the country, in the light of security and political challenges besetting the nation. It was gathered that arrowheads of the initiative were reaching out to former presidents and heads of state, prominent retired military chiefs, traditional rulers and key businessmen, to create a problem-solving platform involving President Goodluck Jonathan. A source close to a former leader likened the initiative to the formation of G-34 in 1998, which rescued the country from the crisis that followed the annulment of June 12, 1993 election. The source hinted that as of last weekend, there were moves to contact President Jonathan, former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and three other former leaders and apprise them of the need for the initiative to work. “We are worried that the whole of the North-East is embroiled in deadly crisis. The Boko Haram appears to be gradually shifting its focus to the North-West. “The South has violent crimes as almost a permanent feature and in the South-South, kidnapping and crude oil theft are threatening the economy of the country in an unprecedented manner. “We feel the leaders must forget about politics and meet to jointly fashion out a workable solution. This has nothing to do with the 2015 elections. It is about the survival of the nation,” the source told the Nigerian Tribune. The source, however, did not give a time-line for the plan of action, which, he said, had reached advanced stage. Meanwhile, the state of the nation may also force about nine Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors to float a new party. Most of the governors are hinging their decision on the crisis in the party. Nigerian Tribune gathered exclusively that the plan for an unnamed new party dominated discussions at a closed-door meeting convened in a South-West state last week. It was learnt that the protracted crisis in the party, perceived to be orchestrated by President Jonathan in his bid for a second term of office, did not go down well with some chieftains of the party. The sources said nine serving PDP governors had expressed readiness to dump the party for the new platform. Some of them, it was learnt, were also aggrieved that the presidency was dismantling everything Obasanjo had worked for. According to the sources, “what do they want Baba (Obasanjo) to do after the sacrifice he made in installing the incumbent president? Remember, it was him who said Jonathan must run and the rest is history. “This same former president had his men who were elected as national officers of the party removed from offices via judicial pronouncements. Worse still, the structure of the PDP in Obasanjo’s own state was given to somebody whose sphere of influence, if any, does not transcend the borders of Ogun State. “The PDP has bungled a golden chance to have its crisis resolved amicably. The same Obasanjo that they have thought inconsequential is the same person that northern leaders have embraced and are working with now. “My brother, keep your fingers crossed. We shall all live to witness what will happen politically in the next couple of months. It will be clear to all if Obasanjo is still relevant in this country or not. “If you have the benefit of knowing the quality and quantum of northern leaders who are behind this new initiative, apart from the ones you have mentioned yourself, you will be left in no doubt that it is where power will reside in 2015,” the source, who craved anonymity, said.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 02:18:55 +0000