Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) have launched a peace
initiative to reconcile Governor Rotimi Amaechi with
President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of
the ruling party.
Governor Amaechi is currently on suspension for
allegedly suspending the chairman and councillors
of Obio/Akpor Local Council.
The national leadership of the PDP wants the
suspension of the council reversed.
The governor declined, saying the suspension was
imposed by the state House of Assembly to enable it
investigate the alleged corruption in the council.
The PDP Governors’ Forum is led by Governor
Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State who was
drafted by the party leadership to chair the newly
created forum apparently to diminish the influence of
the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and its chairman,
Amaechi, who was bent on running for a second
term.
Amaechi went on to win the NGF election by 19 votes
to the 16 for Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau who
was highly favoured by the Presidency and the PDP.
Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State who was
also suspended for insubordination to the party’s
national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, was
recalled last week.
It was gathered yesterday that the PDP governors are
desperate to end the feud between Amaechi and the
party with a view to healing the wounds inflicted on
the PDP by the face-off.
The reconciliation is said to have been categorised as
priority by the peace initiators.
However ,the planned talks may come with some
strings attached.
Akpabio, speaking to reporters in Abuja
said: “The forum is working round the clock to
ensure all outstanding issues are resolved and all its
members brought back to the forum to enable them
participate fully in all activities of the party.
“The reconciliation among the governors is already
ongoing. If you noticed yesterday (Thursday’s NEC
meeting), we had almost all the governors of the PDP
there. You saw almost every governor was there; even
the recently recalled governor of Sokoto State
attended the meeting.
“So, almost all the PDP governors were there. If there
was any PDP governor that wasn’t there yesterday,
he was probably on official duty for the Federal
Government and for the nation.
“I know that the governor of Benue State, Governor
Suswam, is a member of the NIPP Committee,
running around, looking for investors in the power
sector and I think they travelled to Hong Kong.
“So, he wasn’t there and I think his deputy was there
too. So, you can see that peace is gradually returning
to the fold of the entire PDP and I assure you that all
issues will be resolved.
“A pressman asked me the other day that, yes, you
have recalled the governor of Sokoto State through
the National Working Committee; what about the
governor of Rivers State.
“And I pointed out that the governor of Sokoto State
didn’t go to court and that the other matter, regarding
my brother, the governor of Rivers State, is in court
and was, therefore, subjudice.
“But we are exploring all means to ensure out of court
settlement and to bring back everybody to the fold. It
is important to note that we are very determined in
the PDP Governors’ Forum to bring our brothers back
together.”
He said the PDP is determined to increase the
number of its governors and not to deplete it.
His words: “The intention of our forum isn’t to lose a
single governor; instead, we want to increase in the
number. Because when I came in as a governor in
2007, we had almost 29 governors in the PDP.
“But through various court judgments and internal
wrangling, the number depleted until we are now
about 23.”
He stressed the need for the party to put its act
together before the November governorship election
in Anambra and the 2014 elections in Osun and
Ekiti states. The three states are being controlled by
the opposition.
“I can tell you we are lucky that we have elections
coming up in November in Anambra State. We have
two elections coming up in Osun and Ekiti states
next year (2014) and the PDP is ready to work
together, put its house in order and go out there and
face the electorate.
“And you know very well that outside internal
wrangling, Nigerians believe in the PDP.”
Akpabio said the last meeting of the National
Executive Committee (NEC) signified the progress in
the party’s reconciliatory efforts.
The camp of Gov. Amaechi declined to speak on the
peace proposal last night.
The governor’s chief press secretary, Mr. David
Iyofor, said he had no comment to make on the
matter when contacted.
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