There may soon be an end to the crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as its late Tuesday night reconciliation meeting was said to have left both parties happy.
President Goodluck Jonathan had held a meeting with the Baraje’s-led faction of the PDP with governors of Jigawa, Alhaji Sule Lamido, Sokoto, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, Niger, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu and Adamawa, Murtala Nyako as well as governors Liyel Imoke of Cross River and Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe from the Tukur faction and other party elders as a continuous reconciliation move to bring them back into the fold.
The meeting ended 3am Wednesday.
Speaking to journalists on the outcome of the meeting, the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, said the meeting this time was a ?success? as both parties were made to understand what is obtainable by their constitution and more meets are to follow to thrash out remaining contentious issues.
“What we are saying is that the elders are talking. We are talking in accordance with the law of the land and of the party. So we are on peace course. Both parties are being made to understand what is involved. The party constitution, the Nigerian constitution and other issues that are concerned; about last night?s meeting, everybody was happy. Further meetings are expected,” he said.
Fielding questions from journalists, Gulak noted that leaders of the party have been discussing the issues on ground, which is not unexpected ?since PDP is the biggest party in Africa and the only national party in Nigeria.
“Everybody wants to belong to PDP and once you have various shades of opinions, that is why in a party like this, we are bound to disagree to agree”.
He further assured that soon: ?The crisis will be a thing of the past as the demands of the aggrieved faction which were not in accordance with the constitution were being discussed.
“We have internal mechanisms to sort out ourselves. I?m assuring you that this so-called crisis would soon be a thing of the past. We are on a peace course, we are discussing some of the demands that you media men are speculating are unconstitutional. These demands are not in accordance with the laws of the federal republic of Nigeria and certain demands would not be in accordance with the party?s constitution,” Gulak explained.
It was, however, learnt that some of the contending demands made by the breakaway group include: that President Jonathan either drops his unannounced goal of going for a second term in 2015 or he drops Namadi Sambo as Vice President and instead, take one of them, possibly Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido as his running mate for the 2015 election.
They are also said to be demanding the re-instatement of Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi as the authentically elected Chairman of the Governors’ forum.
The meeting, held inside the private residence of the First Lady.
