Anenih to Jonathan: state your 2015 ambition now PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan is to decide his political future at the end of this month – if he accepts a piece of advice from a party chieftain. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih, on Sunday night told Jonathan to make his intention towards the 2015 presidential election known to Nigerians at the end of this month or “as we enter October”. Anenih spoke during the PDP post convention dinner at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja. He said that taking such a decision was necessary towards giving the party a proper direction. The dinner, which was earlier scheduled to hold immediately after the special convention, was postponed due to the splitting of the party. Seven governors – Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Abdulafatah Ahmed (Kwara), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) – walked out of the venue with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to form a parallel executive for the “new PDP”. Before the new group named its executive, including National Chairman Kawu Baraje, National Secretary Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Deputy National Chairman Dr. Sam Jaja, the aggrieved governors had demanded Chairman Bamanga Tukur’s sack. They complained of lack of internal democracy in the party. The dinner party on Sunday night was attended by those loyal to the Tukur-led PDP faction. None of the aggrieved governors attended. Some of the elders mediating in the crisis rocking the party, such as former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Military President Ibrahim Babangida were absent at the Villa dinner. Anenih said: “I will appeal to our leader, the President of this country, that at the end of September or as we enter October, we should not tell anybody that the time is not right. I think the time is right. It is good that we tell our people where we are going to; what our journey will be like.” Referring to the on-going reconciliatory efforts in the party, he said: “We must be seen as a team and not as a group”. He acknowledged that there was a crisis in the party, but, according to him, all the disputes will be settled. “We will not fire any shot but we will win the war,” Anenih said, adding: “We will not recognise opposition within PDP. We will work together as a team so that by 2015 we will come here again to shake hands. We stand for unity and discipline. Nobody will be spared if he behaves out of indiscipline. We will do everything to bring everybody together.” -THE NATION NEWS
Posted on: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:49:08 +0000