Date: 2013-09-02

In what looks like a payback measure, President Goodluck Jonathan appears set to relieve some of his appointees with links to the seven governors who, on Saturday, staged a walkout on him and formed a parallel Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), LEADERSHIP can authoritatively report.

         

In the impending move, Jonathan, it was gathered, has pencilled in ministers, board members and heads of federal government parastatal agencies in order to remove moles from his government.

         

At press time, it was gathered that Jonathan was meeting with some of the aggrieved governors at the presidential villa, Abuja. The governors had staged a walkout at the PDP convention at the Eagle Square in  Abuja on Saturday.

         

Former vice-president Atiku Abubakar had led seven governors and some members of the National Assembly, delegates and aspirants to stage a walkout from the just concluded Special Convention of the party. They thereafter unveiled a new leadership of the PDP with Alhaji Kawu Baraje, Sam Sam Jaja and Olagunsoye Oyinlola as chairman, deputy chairman and secretary respectively.

         

They said their action was in protest against alleged manipulation of the process that led to the emergence of the reconstituted National Executive Committee (NEC).

         

Those who accompanied Atiku were governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa)  and Abdulfatah Ahmed  (Kwara).

         

The list also included former governor of Nasarawa State Adamu Abdullahi and some members of the National Assembly.

         

According to a credible presidency source, Jonathan, Vice-president Namadi Sambo, Senate president David Mark, national chairman of the party Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, chairman of PDP Board of Trustees Chief Tony Anenih, and some kitchen members of the president met briefly after the convention where they considered some options to deal with the "aggrieved members".

         

Although they have not closed the door against the "aggrieved members", it was the conclusion of those who attended the said meeting that not all of those that walked out would return to the party, hence the need to wield the big stick.

         

The source said, "Those who staged the walk-out at the convention would be asked to face the disciplinary committee for  indiscipline and disloyalty, and if they failed to come, they would be considered  guilty as charged; then they would be suspended and face stiff sanctions. Those whose nominees are occupying one office or the other either as chairman or board member would be dropped and replaced with immediate effect."

         

When asked how soon, the source said, "As soon as practicable, ministers from states such as Kano, Jigawa, Niger, Adamawa, Kwara and Sokoto would be placed under watch and those who are not loyal would be dropped and replaced. Your political mentor cannot be against the president and the party and you want to remain in your office.

         

"For example, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, who was named the chairman of their faction, is the chairman of the Nigerian Railway Corporation; that means he is not qualified for that seat again. That is what would happen to every one of their cronies in government." 

         

 

         

Jonathan meets 17 PDP govs at Aso Rock

         

But in a quick move to bring back the breakaway governors back to the fold, President Jonathan last night held a closed-door meeting with 17 of the 23 governors of the PDP

         

Some of the 17 PDP governors, who had arrived for the meeting at press time, include three of the G5+ who had been on a consultation tours.

         

The meeting was said to have followed a closed-door meeting yesterday between Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who reportedly advised the president on the need to meet with the PDP governors.

         

President Jonathan, along with Vice-president Namadi Sambo and some members of the PDP leadership, arrived at the first lady's wing, venue of the meeting at about  9:27pm, while the governors were waiting.

         

The governors already present at the meeting were Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa),  Idris Wada (Kogi), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Murktar Ramalan Yero (Kaduna), Garba Umar (Taraba Acting Governor), Seidu Dakingari (Kebbi), Theodore Orji (Abia), Gabriel Suswam (Benue)  and Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe).

         

Also present at the meeting were the lawyer to the PDP, Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN); National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd); Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim; and the chief of staff to the president, Mike Oghiadhome.

         

 

         

Obasanjo attends church service with Jonathan at Aso Rock villa

         

But former President Olusegun Obasanjo who was conspicuously absent at the PDP special convention on Saturday was at the presidential villa, Abuja yesterday where he worshipped with President  Jonathan alongside President Boni Yayi of neighbouring Benin Republic at the Aso Rock Chapel.

         

But Obasanjo did not participate in the talks between Jonathan and Yayi who met after attending Sunday service together at the Villa Chapel before proceeding to the presidential residence for lunch and bilateral talks.

         

The talks between them were said to have focussed on issues related to the strengthening of developmental cooperation between Nigeria and Benin Republic, including trade and economic relations.

         

 

         

PDP Crisis: Obasanjo seeks elders' meeting, wants  factions to maintain status quo

         

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for the urgent convocation of an "elders' meeting" in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to resolve the factionalisation which hit the party following its mini-convention in Abuja on Saturday.

         

In a statement issued in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, last night, Obasanjo also urged the two factions in the party to maintain the status quo pending the proposed meeting of the elders.

         

Seven governors and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had formed a faction of the party at the national level after they walked out of the mini- convention at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

         

But Obasanjo, in a statement signed by him, said the latest crisis in the party was a cause of worry and lamented that it came at a time when some select members were making efforts to bring peace into the party.

         

He said: "The situation in our ruling PDP after the convention on Saturday and the parallel convention same day has given great concern to all well-meaning members of the party and particularly to the elders of the party.

         

"While some select elders are making efforts to get the situation resolved as soon as possible, it is imperative to emphasise that the move will bring back peace and return the party to its vigorous and dynamic election-winning party that it has always been.

         

"I want to passionately appeal to both sides for now to sheathe their swords, maintain the status quo, with earliest conveyance of the Elders' meeting before the end of this week. Members are equally urged to remain calm until the ‘elders complete their peace-making meeting."

         

 

         

Sagay, Malami, others divided over legal implications of parallel PDP 

         

Meanwhile, legal experts in the country, Prof Itse Sagay (SAN), Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) and Mr Wahab Shittu  have  expressed divergent views on the legal implications of parallel PDP within the existing party, particularly on the status of the new party and whether it is constitutional for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise it.

         

Malami (SAN) told LEADERSHIP in a telephone chat that the right of INEC to recognise the new PDP is discretional, as constitutionally, members of the party can freely defect to any other political party without losing their electoral mandate.

         

He said; "It is a discretional power of INEC to recognise any of the faction based on the facts available at its disposal. The fact remains that whichever faction INEC recognises does not affect the individual right of a member of the party to decamp to any party without relinquishing his elected office.

         

"The legal implication is a constitutional one. It confers right on elected members of the PDP to defect to any other political party without losing their electoral mandate because if there exist a faction in any political party, members are free to choose whichever faction they wish to belong".

         

But Sagay disagreed with Malami's position on the legal implication of the new PDP, saying that the newly formed party is a mere political group without legal relevance, which is only making a political point, following the crisis that had been rocking the party.

         

Sagay said, "It is a political group rather than a political party. This group is only making a political point. When it comes to contesting election, it can only merge with any other political party. But as it is, it (New PDP) has no legal relevance".

         

Shittu also concurred with Sagay's argument  that the new PDP cannot be said to have the status of a political party, just as he noted that "what is taking place at the level of PDP now is an attempt at factionalisation of the party".

         

Speaking to LEADERSHIP yesterday evening, Shittu said, "The breakaway faction (New PDP) cannot be said to have the status of a political party until it formerly applies for registration with INEC and the request is approved. What you could say for now is that the breakaway group represents a movement or an association aspiring to be transformed into a political party. Therefore, the best way to look at what is happening now is to adopt a wait and see attitude and see how events eventually play out".

         

 

         

APC member declines Jonathan's appointment

         

Meanwhile, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief George Moghalu, has declined an appointment by President Jonathan to serve on the board of the National Institute for Fresh Water Fisheries Researches.

         

George, in a letter dated August 21, 2013, to the secretary to the government of the federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, said he was declining the offer respectfully because he was occupied by other national commitments.

         

The letter obtained by LEADERSHIP reads in part: "My attention has been drawn to publications in national dailies in which my name, Chief George N Moghalu, was listed as a member of the board of National Institute for Fresh Water Fisheries Researches.

         

"While thanking my President for the recognition, may I most respectfully decline the appointment. I wish to state that as much as I will always want to serve our nation in any capacity possible, I want to say that I am presently pre-occupied with some national commitments."