Photo: Obasanjo and IBB

•Clark, Ebute, Jemibewon warned against attacks on BoT Chairman

Former civilian president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo  and former military head of state, General Ibrahim Babangida, on Friday led some elders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to  their scheduled meeting aimed at resolving the seemingly intractable crisis in the party. The meeting, which held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.At the special national convention of the party held last  weekend in Abuja, the governors of Kano, Niger, Sokoto, Kwara, Adamawa and Jigawa states and former vice-president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar had stormed out of Eagles Square, venue of the  convention in protest against the disqualification of certain candidates and imposition of a “Unity List” by the chairman Board of Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih.They were later joined at Shehu Yar’Adua Centre by  the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi who had since been suspended from the party.Former acting national chairman of the party, Alhaji Kawu Baraje and former national secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola were announced as chairman and secretary, respectively, of a faction of the party called new PDP.

Peace talks held at the Presidential Villa during the week to resolve the crisis could not achieve the desired peace, as  most of the aggrieved governors boycotted the meeting.

In the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s trouble shooting team yesterday  were former national chairmen of the party, Dr Ahmadu Ali and Barnabas Gemade.

National chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur led members of his national working committee to the peace meeting while factional chairman and secretary, Alhaji Kawu Baraje and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola were also in attendance.

Chairman of the party board of trustees, Chief Tony Anenih was also at the peace talks which had some of the aggrieved governors and those loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan equally represented.

Governors of Jigawa, Alhaji Sule Lamido, his  Rivers State counterpart, Rotimi Amaechi, Sokoto, Alhaji Aliyu Matagakarda Wamakko and Senator Bukola Saraki were also at the meeting.

The PDP Governors’ Forum was represented by chairman of the forum and Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio

Jonah Jang,  Seriake-Dickson and Liyel Imoke, governors of Plateau and Bayelsa states and Cross Rivers State, respectively.

Saturday Sun findings revealed that the peace meeting was, however, deadlocked as both parties refused to yield grounds after separate meetings with them by the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo team.

Among the demands of the Baraje team were the removal of Tukur as national chairman and a fresh national convention, as they insisted that the last Saturday convention lacked credibility.

They also demanded recognition of Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi as chairman of the forum of 36 states governors, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum by the Presidency and the party and the lifting of the suspension slammed on governor Amaechi by the PDP NWC.

Saturday Sun source revealed that Alhaji Tukur  told Chief Obasanjo in clear terms that the issue of recognition of Governor Amaechi as chairman of NGF was beyond them while Tukur further claimed that the party  had been handicapped to revert the suspension as a result of the court case initiated by governor Amaechi on the matter.

At the end of the peace talks held yesterday, former President Obasanjo who was also former chairman of the party board of trustees, assured newsmen that the peace moves initiated by concerned leaders of the party would retrieve the party from the brink.

“Gentlemen of the press, I thank you for exercising patience. Let me point out, you have seen  five of us as select elders of the party. We have taken it upon ourselves to prevent the worst from happening to our dear party.

“Two of our members are abroad and could not join us. They are Solomon Lar and Alex Ekwueme and we are carrying them along. Whatever our reports we are making, but suffice it to say that family dispute within the PDP, which we want to stem the tide of going to the brink. And I want to say that we have met with the two sides  of the family, we have listened to them and of course, we are going to put our heads together and go on from there”, Obasanjo stated.

Meanwhile, a member of the Nigerian Senators’ Forum, Senator Yisa Braimoh, has called on former Information Minister, Chief Edwin Clark, to stop attacking the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, Chief Tony Anenih and efforts being made at resolving the crisis rocking the party.

Clark and the trio of former Senate President, Senator Ameh Ebute, former Minister of Police Affairs, General David Jemibewon and former Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), General Ibrahim Haruna, had under the aegis of Congress for Equality, attacked Anenih for admitting that some of the aggrieved PDP governors had genuine grievances, which would be addressed to enable the party to come out stronger from the “minor” crisis.

Source: The Sun