PDP Crisis: Jonathan to meet aggrieved G7 governors Sunday

Sani Tukur

Published: November 20,2013

The meeting holds at the Aso villa, Abuja.
President Goodluck Jonathan is scheduled to meet the seven aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, G7, on Sunday, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.

The meeting, probably the last between both sides, is aimed at bringing an end to the crisis rocking Nigeria’s ruling party.

According to a letter written to the governors, dated November 11 and signed by the President’s Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiodomhe, the meeting would hold by 9 p.m. at the First Lady’s conference room, the State House, Presidential Villa.

The letter, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, was addressed to the Governor of Niger State, but was ostensibly replying a mail earlier sent to the president by the Governors, dated October 6, 2013.

A source close to the Abubakar Baraje faction of the PDP confirmed that all the aggrieved governors received the letter, adding that the meeting would indeed hold and the governors would attend.

He however said the feeling within the group is that nothing much would be achieved from the meeting in the light of the recent decision to suspend Mr. Baraje and three other top officials from the PDP.

“The Governors may go, but honestly, I am not sure anything good would come out of the meeting because the action of the president and other officials does not give any hope for reconciliation,” the source, who sought anonymity as he was not permitted to speak, said.

The meeting between the two sides was expected to take place on October 7, but the Baraje faction wrote to the President on October 6 asking for a postponement of the meeting because some of its officials were out of the country.

The spokesperson of the Baraje faction, Chukwuemeka Eze, had issued a statement stating that the faction had sent an emissary to the president asking for the postponement. He added that the team expected to meet with the President would include five other governors who had indicated interest to join the faction

Efforts to reach Mr. Eze on more details of Sunday’s meeting were not successful as he could not be reached on his mobile number.

Presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati, did not pick calls and was yet to respond to our sms enquiry on the meeting as at press time.

Another presidential aide, Doyin Okupe, could also not be reached as he did not pick calls sent to his phone.