PDP crisis: doubts hang over Oct 7 meeting between Jonathan, G7 govs - Vanguard

There were indications last night that the peace talks slated for October 7, 2013 between the Presidency and the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, on one hand and the protagonists of the breakaway faction, might not hold after all.

Vanguard learnt that there were fears that the Presidency was suspicious that the forces behind the PDP were not sincere in resolving the crisis.

The suspicion of the Presidency stemmed from allegations that the faction was merely trying to buy time to consolidate its position and destabilize the mainstream party while bracing for the 2015 election.

The G7 on the other hand is believed to have written off the series of peace talks as a ploy by the Presidency and the Bamanga Tukur-led faction of the PDP to distract them from gaining more steam and put the faction in disarray ahead of the next election.

One of the G7 governors, who spoke exclusively to Vanguard yesterday, said they were not convinced that the Presidency was keen on peace.

The governor made it clear that they might boycott the peace meeting based on emerging indications that the Presidency was actively working to stall the peace move.

The governor said: “We are looking at every evidence emerging from the Presidency and the party leadership and it may become imperative for us to shun the peace meetings slated for Monday, October 7, because of the attitude of the leadership of the Bamanga Tukur faction of the PDP.

“It is clear to us that the Presidency faction is not genuinely interested in an amicable resolution of the crisis because of the various actions they have taken while pretending to be pursuing peace with us. Look at the setting up of a caretaker committee in Kano by the Tukur faction while they are claiming that the structures of the party be returned to the governors. As at today, there is no indication that the party structures in Adamawa have been handed over to the governor in accordance with the decision in our last meeting. Now they have even gone ahead and precipitate crisis in the National Assembly, which has claimed the job of Senator Joy Emordi. Do all these actions suggest to anyone that these people are committed to peace?” the governor asked.

Vanguard learnt that while the governors had tactically dropped their opposition to Jonathan’s second term, they were not ready to abandon Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Murtala Nyako, whose states’ party structures had been hijacked.

They are also not willing to concede the victory of Amaechi as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF.

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