JONATHAN REJECTS DEMANDS OF ‘NEW PDP’ •Says, ‘I can’t stop EFCC from probing any Nigerian’ •Silent on 2015 ambition BARELY 24 hours after a meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the aggrieved governors in which there were clear commitments on all sides to resolve all issues factionalizing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and all parties to shield their swords and avoid further inflammatory comments on issues, the Presidency has dropped a bombshell, vowing that the president will not honour the demands of the splinter group, the New PDP. A communique issued after last Sunday’s meeting had hinted that all parties in the squabble accepted to commence immediate action and agreed towards complete resolution of all matters and will continue to meet until all processes toward reconciliation were totally complete. But the political adviser to President Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak, said after a separate meeting he had with the president on Monday that none of the three cardinal demands of the aggrieved governors will be considered by the president. He rather insisted that the aggrieved governors had no choice than to fall in line. Gulak gave the cardinal demands of the aggrieved governors as hinging on the president’s 2015 presidential ambition, the removal of Bamanga Tukur, as well as suspension of the corruption case against the former governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki. Speaking to State House correspondents, the presidential aide maintained the grounds that the constitution of the party and that of the country cover the president if he shows interest in the 2015 elections. He equally insisted that the factional chairman, Bamanga Tukur, was duly elected and cannot be forced out of office. “I have always said PDP has its internal mechanism to resolve its problems. Whatever crisis the outsiders may think we have, we are talking, we are dialoguing, peace is gradually returning to PDP in accordance with the constitution of the party and in accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. These two documents are our guide, we abide by them and we are dialoguing in accordance with the provision of the constitution. “I will tell you that PDP is the only national party that has maintained its name and identity since 1998 till date, nobody can beat that record. “The national chairman has no problem, he was elected and I always say that as there are processes for election, there are processes for removal or resignation. So nobody can cajole anybody to say the national chairman will not survive. Nobody is against the national chairman. “I have said it before that 2015, national chairman, EFCC, these are the three demands and we have to be guided by the constitution. The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended has given Mr. President the right to offer himself for second term if he so chooses and nobody, either individual or group can abridge his constitutional right. If he decides not to contest, let it be on his own volition, not because he is intimidated or cajoled into doing that. “Secondly, about EFCC, I have said it before and will say it again, Mr President will never ask such an independent body not to carry out their job or statutory function. The third is about national chairman and I have said he emerged through the process of election and his removal is also guided by constitutional provisions. “Politics is about give and take. What camp are you talking about? There is no camp. There is only one PDP please and that PDP as at today is led by Bamanga Tukur. There is only one PDP, that we have some aggrieved members does not derogate from the fact that there is only one PDP and these aggrieved members, the elders are already talking to them and they are understanding the constitutional provisions and all of us must be guided by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and by the constitution of our party. “We don’t just do things just because we want to do them; we must abide by the principles of democracy and the principles of democracy must be abided with,” he said. The Nigerian Tribune recalled that the New PDP had last week insisted that the conditions given to President Jonathan by the group must all be met and within stipulated time before peace can return to the party. The group dismissed reports that the crisis rocking the party would soon be over. The national youth leader of the New PDP, Comrade Timi Frank had insisted that though discussions were ongoing, the crisis would be far from over until all the conditions given to the President were met within the stipulated time. He stated that if the conditions were not met within the stipulated time, the leadership of the new PDP would unveil its next plan of action when and if any agreement is reached with its numerous supporters across the country. Frank maintained that the new PDP would not betray the trust of the Nigerian people. The youth leader said it was wrong for Gulak to have attempted to hoodwink party members into believing that a truce was in sight while knowing that the truth remained that except some sacrifices were made by the President and his allies, it would be practically difficult for the crisis to be over. “The truth remains that the crisis in the PDP is far from over. While there has been ongoing talks, it would be wrong for persons, who in the first place instigated this crisis, to begin to play to the gallery. “The truth remains that options are open but definitely the crisis is far from over, more so that we have noticed that even in the middle of discussions, there seem to be shifting of goal posts “It is regrettable that informations made available suggest that attempts were being made to hound up members of the New PDP in some states like Bayelsa. Such practices will only aggravate ongoing negotiations “Reports just coming in indicates that some members of the New PDP in Bayelsa State are being haunted for identifying with the party, with the new PDP secretariat in Port Harcourt been sealed off by police “I dare say that if this is the case, then it would be a grievous mistake as actions like these will only worsen matters. I urge the Nigeria police to concentrate on security issues and kidnappings ravaging the country instead of joining in internal political matters. “The constitution of the Federal Republic is clear as it relates to freedom of association, even more as regards the factionalisation of a party even as stated by INEC. It would therefore, amount to outright breach of the constitution as well as abuse of the rule of law and denial of fundamental human rights for persons to be haunted or arrested based on the current crisis in the PDP. We shall resist such attempts as they are simply barbaric “I want to urge security agencies to remain neutral and not to join in the present squabble in the party. I also enjoin party stalwarts, supporters and indeed Nigerians to remain steadfast in the bid to enthrone a new order and instill internal democracy within the ruling party,” he said. Aggrieved governors agreed to drop demand on President’s ambition —Akpabio The governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio who was part of Sunday’s meeting convened by President Goodluck Jonathan with the aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the governors have agreed to drop their demand that President Jonathan drops his 2015 ambition. The governors were said to have tabled three key demands which must be met before the crisis in the party which led to formation of New PDP could be over. But Akpabio, who is the chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum disclosed that during Sunday meeting, the two sides agreed that the President’s right to contest in 2015 was not negotiable. Speaking on the two other demands, the governor described them as issues of processes that would be resolved very soon since the talks would resume on October 7. He said, “The PDP family is coming back together. We have started a process of total reconciliation and of course you know the house is very large, very robust and PDP is very entrenched and there is no way we can have internal wrangling without being able to resolve it. So, clearly speaking, it was just a family disagreement and the processes are in place now to bring everybody on board and Nigerians are very happy. “I have received a lot of calls from party faithful across the entire country and people are happy, stakeholders are happy that the family is coming back as one strong family. “The disagreement differs from state to state. So, it wasn’t as if there was a major issue with all PDP governors. There were few states that had difficulties. “Some states complained about, maybe their delegates were not allowed entry to Eagle Square. Some complained about party positions and some had court issues. But these are all things that we cannot allow to affect the fabric of the party and of course by implication the fabric of the nation because the PDP is Nigeria. “We have been in power for the past 14 years and Nigerians have confidence that this is the only truly national party that expresses true aspirations of all and sundry and of course it is also the only party that is not owned by any individual. It is a party that belongs to all Nigerians. Even the market woman in Sokoto claims ownership of the PDP and of course the same thing with the trader in Akwa Ibom State. The same thing with somebody in the south west and the same thing in south east. “So, the PDP is Nigeria and so anything that affects the PDP will affect the entire country. And so that is why we commend the President for the peace process, for his humility and for his decision to be a father to all and for behaving like a good shepherd where if one single sheep goes astray, he abandons the 99 to go and pick that one. And that was the spirit and everybody is coming on board now. “That process is going to be concluded on the 7th of October. We are all very excited. “That is why I said that the processes are on and of course on the issue of 2015, both sides agreed that it wasn’t an issue for discussion because every single person has a right to have ambition. “Some of the governors may have ambition like I have ambition to go to Senate and you can’t discuss anything about another person’s ambition. You are the only person that can discuss your own ambition. Ambition is personal. So both parties agreed to that. “In all other issues, we have put in place methodologies of settling them and of course it’s a process issue. Process is on. It was in the first place an internal issue of the PDP and so we are going to settle it internally and if you want to know how it is going to be settled, then you have to leave being a journalist to join the PDP family. “In the first place, the controversy was too minor for the opposition to feast on. Were they waiting to see the party, which opposition are you talking about, is it APC? Well, you know the only thing I can see for the APC, in 2015 they will change their name. “They normally change names. That is the only thing I know. I think they used to be AC, later they changed to ACN, then of course they now linked it with CPC and now they turned to APC and by 2015 it will be Panadol.” Meanwhile,FIVE hours of meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) failed to get the desired results on Sunday. Sources close to the peace meeting confirmed to the Nigerian Tribune that the president refused to declare his ambition for 2015 when he was asked by one of those at the meeting. A source said one of the governors, who gave a preamble to the question, said the group wanted to know whether the president wanted to seek re-election or not. The governor was also said to have added that the issue was within the constitutional powers of the president but that the governors would like to know, so that the party could plan ahead. The president was, however, said to have refused to answer the question directly. A source said Jonathan, instead, decided to lecture the governors on democracy dividends, adding that there was still time for all elected officials to start delivering dividends to the people. “We were all elected to better the lives of the people and deliver dividends of democracy to the people. I believe that as leaders we must continue to do that which we were elected to do. “Let all governors go back to the states and continue the process of delivering democracy dividends rather that bury ourselves in this politicking that does not bring food to the people’s table,” he was quoted to have said. Sources further added that the meeting resolved that the Adamawa State executive committee should be returned to Governor Murtala Nyako, in line with the constitution of the party. The source also said Jonathan told the aggrieved governors to erase the idea that a president would wake up and order the anti-graft agencies not to investigate certain categories of citizens. He was said to have advised that any governor that had issues with the Economic and Financial crimes Commission (EFCC) should go ahead and clear himself rather than attempt to politicise it. “I will not sit here and guarantee anyone that I will stop EFCC probe of any Nigerian or non-Nigerian operating within our territory,” the president was quoted as saying. He was also said to have told the meeting that the issue of Rivers crisis had to do with court orders and several suits already filed and that he could not in any way overrule the court orders. The responses were said to have been stated after the G7 group of aggrieved governors, led by Kano State governor, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and his counterpart from Niger, Dr Mua’zu Babangida Aliyu, had restated their positions.
Posted on: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 08:29:30 +0000
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