| As 5 G-7 Governors, New PDP Join APC: PDP Faces First Real Danger In 15 Years |
| The defection of five of the G-7 governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has put the ruling party in a conundrum. For the first time in the 15 years of its life, the PDP faces a real danger of losing a presidential election at the centre and its grip on many states to an opposition party. Barely hours after LEADERSHIP exclusively reported that the G-7 governors had made up their minds to join the opposition, the national chairman of the APC, Bisi Akande, in a joint statement with the “new PDP” chairman, Kawu Baraje, yesterday, announced a merger of the two parties. This has jerked President Goodluck Jonathan into action and he has reportedly summoned his party’s chairman Bamanga Tukur to return from China for an emergency meeting. Sources also told LEADERSHIP that the pro-Jonathan governors in what is left of the PDP are planning to meet tomorrow. With only governors Sule Lamido of Jigawa and Muazu Aliyu of Niger yet to commit to either the APC or the Tukur-led PDP, the move now gives the APC control of more states. APC now has 17 states to PDP’s 15. Niger and Jigawa remain in the balance while APGA and Labour Party have one each. LEADERHIP investigations however show that the advantage does not end there. Going into the 2015 general elections, out of the top 10 states, that is, those with the highest voter roll call, seven are now APC states while PDP has just three. Based on the 2010 voter register, the move by the five governors to APC gives it control of states with 33m of the 68m registered voters and the PDP holds on 26m of the registered voters while there are 5.9m voters between the two states of Jigawa and Niger that have uncommitted governors, and Ondo and Anambra ruled by different parties. The governors are: Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Abdulfattah Ahmed (Kwara) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto). But their counterparts -- Babangida Muazu Aliyu (Niger) and Sule Lamido (Jigawa) -- have since distanced themselves from the deal which is seen as the climax in the festering crisis within the ruling party. Interim national chairman of the APC Bisi Akande, in a joint statement with the “new PDP” chairman Kawu Baraje, yesterday announced: “A meeting of the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the new PDP met this morning at the residence of the Kano State governor, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in Abuja. “After exhaustive deliberations, the two parties agreed to merge in order to rescue our fledgling democracy and the nation.” While responding to questions, Baraje, who read the communiqué, said change of name and the denunciation of “new PDP” are implications of merging. On the side of the APC were Akande, former governor of Lagos State Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former governor Ogbonnaya Onu, and Lai Mohammed. Baraje was with Amaechi, Kwankwaso, Nyako, Senator Adamu Abdulahi, Senator Bukola Saraki, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Timipre Slva, and Sam Sam Jaja. APC leader and former presidential candidate General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) who breezed into the Kano Governor’s Lodge, venue of the meeting, had left before both groups emerged to address newsmen. The decision of the five governors to join the APC was taken after a series of meetings between them on one hand and the leadership of the APC on the other. Although the presidency has put up a bold face, saying it was unperturbed, the development has jerked President Jonathan into action and he has reportedly summoned Tukur to return from China for an emergency meeting. A competent source also told LEADERSHIP that pro-Jonathan governors in what is left of the PDP are planning to meet tomorrow. While the dominance of the PDP over the last 15 years has made the party’s tickets for elective positions at all levels the most competitive, recent development are indications that the table could be upturned. We’re not threatened - Presidency The presidency yesterday declared that, ahead of the 2015 general polls, neither it nor the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) feels threatened that five of the G-7 governors alongside the “new PDP” have joined the All Progressives Congress (APC). President Jonathan’s political adviser, Mr Ahmed Gulak, who made the presidency’s position known, told journalists at the presidential villa, Abuja, that it was clear from the outset that the five governors who joined the APC were just in PDP in flesh and not in spirit. “I know for a fact that five of them said they will now join APC, but I know two issued statements saying that they are not part of that, that is, the governors of Niger and Jigawa states. I believe those others… for a long time I have said it that their hearts have not been in PDP, but it is good that they have told the world that they have taken a stand so that PDP will not be distracted.” Noting that the presidency and the PDP were not threatened, Gulak said: “The presidency does not feel threatened; the PDP does not feel threatened. PDP is the party to beat; we have had it before. Even people who have occupied higher offices left the party and came back. Outside there, there is nothing; it is empty. PDP is the only party. “A lot of people in the APC, ACN, ANPP have contacted me severally that they want to come back to PDP, that they were just waiting for what happened today to happen. And to us it is a good development.” On whether there was any hope of reconciliation, should they come back, he said: “We are talking about peace; reconciliation is an ongoing process. If they go outside there, like those that went there before them, and taste that the outside there is empty, they are always welcome back home like we did before.” Jonathan invites G-7 governors for meeting on Sunday However, the PDP headquarters said the peace process initiated by President Goodluck Jonathan is still on course as the president is set to meet with aggrieved party members on Sunday. “We wish to use this opportunity to remind all PDP members that the peace process initiated by President Goodluck Jonathan is still on course and we wish to thank him for his patience, humility and spirit of accommodation. The meeting between the President and aggrieved members shall hold on Sunday, December, 01, 2013. “…We wish to reassure our teeming members that our doors remain open to address all grievances. We shall however not condone any acts of internal subversion from any quarters,” Metuh said. Meanwhile, an aide to one of the G-7 governors told LEADERSHIP last night that the president has actually invited his principal and others for a meeting on Sunday by 9:00pm. We remain in PDP - Aliyu, Lamido Niger State governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu has denied media reports purporting that he has dumped the ruling PDP for the APC, saying he remains a member of the PDP. Governor Aliyu’s chief press secretary Danladi Ndayebo said on Tuesday in Abuja that his principal was shocked at the announcement of the merger of new PDP and APC even before a final decision was taken on the matter. Ndayebo said in a statement that Governor Aliyu was not present at the meeting where the merger deal was sealed between the Baraje-led “new PDP” and APC leaders as widely reported by the media. Governor Aliyu insisted that talks were still ongoing with the president and he would await the outcome of the negotiation before taking a final decision. Also yesterday, Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido announced his decision to remain in the PDP as against the decision of his fellow G-7 governors who dumped the party and joined the APC. The governor announced this in a press statement signed by his director of press, Malam Umar Kiyari, and made available to LEADERSHIP in Dutse. Lamido stated: “I want to speak for myself. I accepted that my party PDP is currently embroiled in a serious crisis especially because of the Bamanga Tukur style of leadership with impunity. “That does not necessitate me renouncing myself and relinquishing my historical authority to anybody. It is true myself and family are currently under a huge political heat wave and campaign of misinformation and smear to the effect that my family and I are adjudged guilty in the public court by the gullible and the ill-informed. “This will not intimidate nor harass me out of the party, and I will not give anybody the pleasure of engaging me by his terms. “For now, I wish to state that I remain the living father of the PDP. As for my political persecutors, I will engage them by my terms at the appropriate time. Nobody speaks for me but myself.” Jubilation in Enugu There was jubilation in Enugu yesterday following the movement of some governors of the ruling PDP to the APC. Our correspondent who went round Enugu saw people in groups smiling and discussing the development. It was also observed that most residents of the “Coal City State” who were happy over the development went to beer parlours to celebrate. Meanwhile, a stalwart of the party and former national chairman of the Justice Party, Chief Ralph Obioha, has described the development as an end to a long-drawn battle. He said it would definitely affect the party, adding that the movement of the governors into the APC would whittle the strength and influence of the PDP in the affected states. He blamed the party for failure to handle the issue effectively. The PDP chieftain added that the movement would swell up the APC and reposition it as one of the formidable opposition political parties in the country, stressing that such arrangement would add value to the electoral process. PDP Crisis: Akpabio’s utterances capable of causing civil unrest in G-7 states – Nyako Adamawa State governor Murtala Nyako has described the statement credited to Akwa Ibom State governor Godswill Akpabio to the effect that there will be rebellion in the G-7-controlled states as baseless, unfortunate and done in bad faith. The governor who reacted through his director of press and public affairs, Mallam Ahmed Sajo, said the Adamawa State government did not want to join issues with Governor Akpabio but, in consideration of the import of the statement and the vantage position of Akpabio, the state government wishes to make clarifications as a proactive measure to prevent any civil unrest in the state following the statement. “We view Governor Akpabio’s closeness to the presidency and his ignominious role in the 16-is-greater-than-19 debacle as too obvious to be ignored, as the recent utterances, actions, activities and body language of the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP in the state and his stooges close to the presidency all point to a desire to entrench a reign of lawlessness in the state.” Sajo added that the statement made by Akpabio is a veiled and subtle attempt of inciting civil revolt and disturbances which cannot be ignored by Nyako whose primary duty is to safeguard the lives of all citizens of Adamawa State. “We see the statement made by Akpabio as a veiled threat to the possibility of inciting a civil revolt in our state.” He cautioned President Jonathan to be wary of unscrupulous politicians who are riding on his humility to cause disaffection in the party, just as he said it was equally unfortunate that Akpabio was saying that they were ready to see the people leave the PDP. “We are concerned over the abuse of the president’s humility and patience by Akpabio and his desire to ensure that the president takes drastic measures against the G-7 governors, especially in consideration of the fact that Jonathan himself said he will continue with peace talks with the G-7 governors to ensure the resolution of the impasse in the party when he arrived in the country from London in the recent past.” In Rivers, Amaechi, Wike’s camps bicker A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke, has said the ruling PDP has gone into extinction in Rivers State following yesterday’s merger between the Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje-led “new PDP” and the All Progressives Congress. The state governor and chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, is among the PDP governors, who joined the APC. However, the PDP is the state has expressed joy over the decision of the governors, especially Amaechi, to join the APC, saying that the merger would not lead to the death of the ruling party in the state but would make it better placed and focused to deliver to the people of the state the much-desired development and programmes. Nwuke, who spoke in a telephone interview with LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt, said: “We believe that well-meaning Rivers people are happy over the merger. Let me tell you, the merger with APC is the end of PDP in Rivers State. That means that PDP is dead in Rivers State. The PDP is totally dead.” But the PDP, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt, said the official exit from the party by Amaechi and his colleagues did not come to it as a shocker, but a vindication of its earlier revelation. The statement, which was signed by the media aide to the state chairman of the PDP, Jerry Needam, said: “We note with satisfaction what we call a welcome development and a big relief for its leadership and other genuine members of the party, who have continued to tolerate the rebellious and insubordinate behaviour and actions of Governor Amaechi and his allies over the period in the state and at the national level. “With the formal defection of Amaechi and his associates, the party is now better placed and focused to deliver to the people of the state the much-desired development and programmes which have been illusive following the internal ache which acted like a virus to the party by Amaechi and his co-travellers.” PGF lauds new PDP merger with APC, says progressive revolution blinks The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) yesterday hailed leaders of the APC and “new PDP” for merging the two parties, saying the development signals imminent progressive revolution in the country. The progressive governors in a press statement said: “We specially welcome our fellow compatriots, G7 Governors, for taking the courageous and historic step of leaving the governing, albeit fast-crumbling PDP, into the progressives fold. “The movement of our compatriots from the now defunct new PDP to the All Progressives Congress, despite all manner of intimidation, harassment and persecution by the Presidency and the PDP, is worthy of commendation and is indicative of their strong personal principles, commitment and conviction to the progress of Nigeria.” They noted that the achievements recorded in states governed by leaders of the new PDP had shown that they had no business belonging to” a party with no democratic traditions, no vision for Nigeria beyond wasting public resources and further impoverishing Nigerians in spite of unprecedented oil revenues. “If anything, we are only welcoming you back home where you belong: to the party that feels the pains of Nigerians and understands that power and responsibility are merely exercised on behalf of the people and only to serve the collective interests of all Nigerians. “By coming into the fold of the progressives, you have opted to discard the politics of corruption, nepotism and deception in favour of transparent and accountable leadership that is governed by the principles of progress, integrity and equity. “Together, we shall forge stronger alliances by joining forces with other like-minded progressives to rescue Nigeria from imminent collapse.” |
Commentaires