Rebel Governors Clash With PDP Leadership Again

The new Peoples Democratic Party and the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP have renewed their war of words on the crisis rocking the ruling party. While the nPDP, through its National Secretary, Chukwuemeka Eze, accused Tukur of blocking Sunday’s meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the seven aggrieved PDP governors, the PDP national chairman distanced himself from the allegation.





“As if that (suspension) is not enough, Tukur has also told whoever cares to listen that the proposed peace meeting of President Jonathan and the G-7 governors cannot see the light of the day as long as he is the national chairman of the PDP."Before the new PDP made the allegation, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, said the aggrieved members of the PDP, including the rebel governors, were free to leave the party.

Akpabio’s comment drew flak from the factional PDP and some of the governors, who accused him of playing to the gallery.
The New PDP had in a statement by Eze, called on the founding fathers of the PDP not to remain silent over the crisis in the PDP because Tukur was not happy with the ongoing reconciliatory meetings.

Jonathan had on his arrival from London, postponed another round of meeting he was billed to hold with the rebel governors in the Presidential Villa on Sunday. Although he cited jet lag and ill health as reasons, but Punch gathered that he was under pressure from hawks in government to do so.

Before he announced the postponement, some of the rebel governors had arrived in Abuja, hoping that the said meeting would hold.

Tukur aggravating crisis
However, the New PDP said the suspension of four of its key members by the Tukur-led National Working Committee of the ruling party, was aimed at further aggravating the crisis in the ruling party.

The four are: Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, erstwhile National Chairman of the PDP; Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja and Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure. They have been asked to appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the PDP on Wednesday in Abuja.

The New PDP said, “Instructively and shockingly, the meeting which was scheduled to be held last (Sunday) night was put off at the last minute by Mr. President, who is the PDP National Leader, despite publicly announcing that he was fit again and set to resume work last night upon his return from his London trip.”