EXCLUSIVE: OBJ, IBB, Anenih prepare 5-point plan for Jonathan •Recommend review of mini convention; resolution of Adamawa, Rivers excos, NGF crises, among others. IT emerged on Saturday that the Elders Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which met with the warring factions of the party in Abuja on Friday has prepared a five-point action plan for the attention of President Goodluck Jonathan. The committee, which was led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and included former military leader, General Ibrahim Babangida, and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, had, on Saturday, wrapped up the five-point action plan, which it believes would aid President Jonathan in resolving the logjam in the party. Sources told Sunday Tribune that the elders’ committee’s recommendation to the president included the reinstatement of the Adamawa State chapter of the party loyal to Governor Murtala Nyako, reinstatement of the executive committee of the Rivers State chapter of the PDP, which is loyal to Governor Amaechi, as well as the re-absorption of Governor Rotimi Amaechi into the party, in line with the party’s constitution. Sources also said that the elders committee also recommended that President Jonathan should intervene and bring an end to the crisis rocking the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) by calling a heart-to-heart meeting with the Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang, and his Rivers State counterpart, Amaechi, to agree on a resolution of the crisis. Another recommendation of the elders committee, which is to be submitted to the president, is the suggestion that the 31 August mini convention should be reviewed to rectify any anomalies. 2015 not discussed at meeting –Source Meanwhile, a source said that the issue of Jonathan’s ambition in 2015 was not raised by the aggrieved G7 governors, whose faction is now led by Alhaji Baraje. It was confirmed that the elders mandated former President Obasanjo to get the recommendations forwarded to President Jonathan immediately. The source said: “The meeting went well with each party restating its position as stated at the meeting with President Jonathan on September 1. The G7 governors insisted on stoppage of the probe of the states by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and a closer relationship between them and the president. They insisted that a situation where some persons appear to be appropriating the president to themselves, while some governors have limited access, is uncomfortable. “They believe that some governors have always had their nominees appointed into positions, while others have none, especially the case of Kano governor who had complained during the meeting with the president.” It was further gathered that the Abuja meeting of Friday did not deviate from the facts stated at the villa meeting on 1 September. Issues raised included those of stoppage of EFCC probes, restructuring of the party, that of Alhaji Tukur becoming difficult to work with, the NGF crisis and the issue of federal appointments for candidates of some governors. Why Jonathan won’t sack Ministers loyal to G7 govs In another development, Sunday Tribune also learnt that the president had confirmed to close allies that he would not sack any minister for political reasons, even if such a minister was one nominated by any of the aggrieved governors. Sources said that the president believed that his scorecard was what would tell Nigerians about him and that he needed a focused cabinet to deliver the goods and present an impressive scorecard. “The president believes that no minister or political appointee will be sacked for political reasons. He believes that Nigerians will assess him by the accomplishments of the ministries and parastatals. He believes that by allowing the appointees to lose focus, he would not have anything to show Nigerians at the end of his stewardship. However, if anyone is found wanting in his or her duties, that person would be shown the door, just like the Minister of Youth,” the source said. Jonathan under pressure to wield big stick Meanwhile, it was said that the president, who just returned to Nigeria from his official trip to Kenya, had monitored the political events in Nigeria keenly and is not happy that the Atiku-led New PDP was issuing terms of peace to him and the party, rather than grabbing the olive branch that had been offered to them through the efforts of former President Obasanjo and other elders of the party. Some members on the entourage of the president who spoke with Sunday Tribune said they were miffed by the action of the breakaway member. Some of them were said to have suggested that the president wielded the big stick on the recalcitrant members to restore order to the party. According to them, the actions of the members represented an affront and the height of indiscipline by members which the PDP ought to discourage. I will continue fight to restore order –Tukur Also, embattled PDP chairman, Alhaji Tukur, in a telephone interview with Sunday Tribune, said he would continue to fight until order was restored in the party. He said he had done nothing to warrant his removal as the national chairman as, according to him, those who wanted to opt out of the party had no concrete reason to justify their actions. He said, “If the rebelling members of the PDP had their ways, they would, one day, rise up to claim that they were greater than Nigeria and all of us.
Posted on: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 12:06:18 +0000
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