President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday postponed his peace meeting with the seven aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party governors which was earlier scheduled for Sunday.
Jonathan, who arrived the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja from London around 7pm attributed his action to jet lag and “health challenges.”
But The PUNCH however gathered that pressure from political hawks made the President, who was in London for the 15th meeting of Nigeria’s Honorary International Investors’ Council, to postpone the meeting.
It was learnt in Abuja that the hawks within the PDP, who insisted that Jonathan should shelve the meeting, also wanted the four suspended leaders of the New PDP- Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Dr. Sam Jaja and Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure - expelled from the ruling party.
Our source said this could happen on or before Friday this week.
A reliably PDP source told one of our correspondents on Sunday that the need to have an enlarged secret caucus meeting with the President on the modalities to be adopted before taking a final decision on “Oyinlola and others ” was responsible for the President’s decision to shelve the Sunday meeting.
Some of the rebel governors were said to have arrived in Abuja before the postponement was announced by Jonathan.
The President became indisposed and had to be treated for severe abdominal pains while in London .
He had missed the opening of the London meeting based on doctors’ advice that he should take some days’ rest.
However, he gave an indication to journalists on his arrival that the meeting with the rebel governors might hold within the week.
The President said the peace moves would continue since political discussion is a continuous process.
Jonathan said, “I don’t think I will be able to hold any meeting.You know six hours’ flight is quite a distance and also following from my health challenges; but we will meet.”
When asked specifically on the next meeting date, the President said, “I don’t know. I am just coming in. I believe within the week, we will be able to meet.
“Politics is about discussion. We belong to the same political party. Even people from different political parties engage in political discussion and you know political discussion is a continous process. So we will continue to discuss.”
For the first time, the President also confirmed that the three-man administrative panel he instituted to investigate the N255m bulletproof cars bought for the Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah, by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, had submitted its report to him.
He however refused to say more on the matter.
“The committee I set up has submitted its report,” he simply said.
While confirming that he had some health challenges in London, Jonathan thanked God that he was now fit to resume work.
He also thanked Nigerians for their show of love during his 56th birthday that was held on Wednesday and during the period he was indisposed.
He said, “First, let me thank and appreciate Nigerians for their show of love and concern. On Wednesday, even though I was in London,I read how people congratulated me, remembering my birthday that I don’t normally celebrate anyway. But people know, so they normally congratulate me and I read it in the newspapers.
“I have to thank Nigerians, especially on the issue of my health. I really had some health challenges. I have to thank God again because of the concern shown by Nigerians and their love.
“Thank God that I am very okay to resume work, I believe from this night (Sunday).”
When asked whether the health challenge was a serious one, Jonathan said, “The most important thing is that I am back. You will expect that when you are holding a political office as the President of a country, anything that affects you attracts a lot of attention. That the President is sick is enough to cause apprehension.”
The President also debunked insinuations that some ministers shunned the HIIC meeting in London, saying they were not meant to sit throughout its duration.
He said the only minister who sat through the meetings was that of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, who served as the “warehouse” of the HIIC.
Jonathan was received on arrival by top government officials, including the Ministers of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed Onyeabuchi Chukwu(Health) ; Caleb Olubolade(Police Affairs); Godsday Orubebe (Niger Delta Affairs); Edem Duke (Culture and Tourism;) Emeka Wogu (Labour) ; and Viola Onwuliri (Supervising Minister of Foreign Affairs).
Others were the Secretary fo the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; and the Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadomhe.
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