0902F13.Goodluck-Jonathan.jpg - 0902F13.Goodluck-Jonathan.jpg President Goodluck Jonathan, Stuck in a Dead-end Reconciliation Chuks Okocha examines the factional crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party and the difficult attempts to restore unity to the party Perhaps, nothing illustrates the state of the peace talks between President Goodluck Jonathan and the breakaway faction of his Peoples Democratic Party than the brawl in the House of Representatives on Tuesday during a visit by the Alhaji Abubakar Baraje-led faction. Failed Truce The fighting that broke out between lawmakers loyal to the New PDP, led by Baraje, and those devoted to the mainstream PDP, led by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, was, to all intents and purposes, an indication that the peace talks between Jonathan and the governors of Kwara, Sokoto, Kano, Niger, Adamawa, Rivers, and Jigawa states, popularly known as the G.7 Governors, had failed. Apparently, therefore, the adjournment of the discussions to October 7 was nothing more than a strategy for both parties to buy time. Part of the terms of the supposed truce reached last Sunday the cessation of all inflammatory comments on the PDP crisis. But about 48 hours later, members of the House of Representatives engaged in actions similar to that in the Rivers State House of Assembly on July 9, when five members of the 32-member Assembly with apparent loyalty to Jonathan attempted to impeach the Speaker, Mr. Otelemaba Amachree. Before the fracas at the lower chamber, Akwa Ibom State Godswill Akpabio had told newsmen, pointedly, that one of the issues in dispute between PDP and New PDP, Jonathan’s second term ambition, was not in contention. Many saw that as a breach of the terms of the agreement, which Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, one of the aggrieved governors, had read out after the peace meeting at the State House, Abuja. Inside the Peace Meeting Jonathan had attended the peace meeting with Vice President Namadi Sambo; chairman of the Board of Trustees of PDP, Chief Tony Anenih; chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Akpabio; the governors of Kogi and Cross River states, Idris Wada and Liyel Imoke, respectively. On the side of the G-7 were the governors of Adamawa, Niger, Rivers, Kwara, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kano states. The meeting was to try to restore unity within the PDP. An inside source told THISDAY all the issues in dispute were tabled and discussed. The following concessions were believed to have been made by Jonathan and his team: immediate lifting of the suspension of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State by the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP; return of party structures to all the governors, including those of Rivers and Adamawa states; raising a committee to visit Rivers State, like it was in the case of Adamawa State, to build consensus and restore the party structure to the governor; leaving Tukur’s fate to the president’s discretion. Tukur’s removal is one of the demands of the aggrieved governors. The meeting went on fine, until the 2015 agenda was brought up for discussion. According to a source, “Jonathan clarified that what he said in Ethiopia was that as a democratic leader, he would not elongate his tenure under any guise. He said since the crisis in the party was basically on 2015, it is a matter that can be addressed later. “His body language suggested that he won’t compromise his ambition to contest in 2015. But it was not a major issue yet at the peace talks.” The next issue was the party’s leadership under Tukur. The G.7 governors were said to have insisted on a change of leadership, urging the president to ensure that Tukur is removed from office. The meeting agreed that the media war and inflammatory comments on the PDP crisis should be stopped because the crisis was heating up the polity with actions capable of dividing the country. The pending issues were said to be the 2015 agenda and the sack of Tukur. He was variously accused of administering PDP as a personal estate. Unprovoked Escalation The meeting agreed that party structures should be returned to the governors, but what happened at the PDP national secretariat the next day, Monday, was a major departure from the agreements. The National Working Committee of PDP, led by Tukur, dissolved the party’s Kano State executive committee that is loyal to Governor Rabiu Kwankwanso and appointed a caretaker committee headed by one Hassan Kafayos. In addition, that same Monday, Mohammed Abacha, son of the late General Sani Abacha, who is a known political enemy of the Kano State governor, announced his comeback to PDP after dumping it in 2010 for the now defunct Congress for Progressive Change. He was excitedly readmitted by the PDP national leadership. Only two weeks before, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, and Nigeria’s Ambassador to China, Aminu Wali, were at the PDP secretariat, where arrangements for the caretaker committee in Kano was believed to have been sealed. The question on many minds is, if there was an agreement that all parties in the PDP crisis should maintain peace, why the rush to dissolve the Kano State executive that is loyal to Kwankwaso without an input from the governor? Besides, the PDP constitution stipulates that whenever a former member who defected to another party wants to return, the appropriate place to stage the comeback is at the ward level. But Abacha, in an uncanny arrangement, chose the national level. Baraje, G7 Visit to National Assembly The events at the Wadata National Secretariat of PDP, where the Kano PDP executive was sacked and a caretaker appointed, set the tone for other happenings that mark deterioration of the PDP crisis. The aggrieved governors met on Monday night met with National Assembly members loyal to the Baraje-led New PDP at the Kano State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja. This was where the plans for Tuesday’s visit to the National Assembly were finalised. It was leant that the impromptu meeting was convened at the instance of the governors because neither they nor their supporters in the National Assembly envisaged an early declaration of peace between the warring PDP factions. The following governors were at the meeting: Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rotimi Ameachi (Rivers), and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara). THISDAY was told that the peace agreement entered into with Jonathan last Sunday night had changed the game plan of the aggrieved governors, hence the need to meet and strategise with the lawmakers. The source said information coming from the PDP national secretariat gave the indication that the terms of the peace agreement might not be respected. Some members of National Assembly who spoke with THISDAY on condition of anonymity said none of them was averse to a sincere truce. According to one of those who attended the Monday night meeting, “The only agenda for our meeting with the governors is an update on what transpired during Sunday night’s meeting with the president. This is very important because it will determine the future of this movement and what steps we will take next.” Drama in the Green Chamber During the visit of the Baraje group, members of the House of Representatives exchanged blows following disagreements over whether to allow the splinter group to address the PDP caucus in the House. While lawmakers perceived to be pro-Baraje insisted that their leaders, including the aggrieved governors, should be allowed to address the caucus, others believed to be loyal to Tukur disagreed. Shortly after Baraje began his address, Mr. Henry Ofongo (old PDP, Bayelsa), Hon. Patrick Asadu (old PDP, Enugu), and a handful of other pro-Tukur lawmakers went into the hall and started shouting comments like “point of order”, “no way”, “Bamanga is our man”, “Na Bamanga we know”, causing commotion at the forum. This angered the pro-Baraje lawmakers, led by Rep. Dakuku Peterside (New PDP Rivers), Rep. Asita Honourable (New PDP, Rivers), as they engaged Ofongo in a fight. The commotion lasted about thirty minutes as the pro-Tukur lawmakers, comprising Bethel Amadi (Imo), Friday Itulah (Edo), Betty Apiafi (Rivers), Bitrus Kaze (Plateau), Samson Okwu (Benue), Tijjani Yusuf (Kogi), Kingsley Chinda (Rivers) and others continued to disrupt proceedings at the meeting. However, House Leader, Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, went ahead with her welcome remarks, praying that the visit would serve as the beginning of the resolution of the crisis in the party. When order was restored, Tambuwal explained that the leadership of the House had decided to welcome both Baraje and Tukur at their behest, only for Tukur to withdraw his letter of request in the early hours of Tuesday. ‘Tukur Withdrew Request to Visit House’ “I think I need to make two points clear,” Tambuwal said. “One, there was a communication from our leader, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on the same issue; he wanted to come and address the PDP caucus. Now, Tukur withdrew his letter only this morning and I couldn’t have read his letter having withdrawn it. The whole thing is: we are not going to receive them on the floor. He (Baraje) will address us at 3.00pm in room 028, new building.” But the pro-Tukur lawmakers were unconcerned and shouted throughout Baraje’s to the gathering. Why Tukur Avoided National Assembly A top official in the Tukur faction confirmed that the leadership of the party had earlier transmitted a correspondence to the leadership of the National Assembly requesting that their visit scheduled for Tuesday be postponed, citing ongoing reconciliation efforts in the party as reason. The official, who preferred anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said, “The leadership of our great party under the chairmanship of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur had earlier secured an appointment to meet with members of the National Assembly elected on the platform of the PDP on Tuesday. “However, due to the ongoing reconciliatory efforts in the party, a correspondence was sent to the leadership of the National Assembly requesting that the visit be postponed to another date. This is in line with our commitment to ensure the success of the ongoing reconciliations in our party.” This position was also confirmed by National Publicity Secretary of PDP Olisa Metuh. He said, “We were abiding with the decision of the Sunday meeting where we were directed to avoid anything that would be seen as inflaming the crisis. This was why we were at not at the National Assembly. We don’t want to do anything that would be seen as stalling the ongoing reconciliation.” Plot to Remove Tambuwal as Speaker Developments within PDP have kept moving unremittingly against the spirit of the peace talks. There were indications of plots to remove Tambuwal as Speaker. He was accused of supporting the Baraje group. In fact, members of the lower chamber believed to be pro-Jonathan were said to have met at a hotel in Abuja to perfect the plan. Money was said to have exchanged hands for the purpose. Many believe that last Tuesday’s brawl in the House of Representatives may threaten the peace talks between Jonathan and the G-7 governors/Baraje faction because some of the president’s men are believed to be moving against Tambawal. As part of the design to remove Tambwaal, the Presidency is believed to have opted for October 7 for the resumption of talks with the aggrieved governors to buy time and work out its next line of action. A source in PDP said the Presidency might also use the truce period to deal with the New PDP members and those perceived to be sponsoring them. Dead-end Given the latest developments, observers doubt if the G-7/Baraje faction would return to the peace talks or take it seriously. A source said, “The crisis has also shown that the president and his team were not committed to the pact reached at the conciliatory talks on Sunday. They have been using the meetings to buy time to gauge the feelings of the governors and design the next line of action. You will recall that barely 12 hours after the Sunday meeting, the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP raised a caretaker committee for PDP in Kano State. “The signs are that the peace talks might be as good as dead. The chances for reconvening on October 7 for further talks are slim.” Another source said it was apparent that the Presidency had decided to whip into line the G-7 governors and their sponsors. The source said, “In the next two to three weeks, there might be a crackdown on the governors, members of the Kawu Baraje faction and all their backers.” Distrust Considering the current happenings in PDP and the events that preceded them, many believe it would be difficult for the rival groups in PDP to trust each other. The mutual suspicion started to manifest soon after the peace talks with the diverse interpretations of what transpired during the discussion. According to a statement by National Publicity Secretary of New PDP, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, “We have read various misleading accounts of what transpired at that meeting between our progressive governors – Governor Kwankwaso of Kano, Governor Wamakko of Sokoto, Governor Amaechi of Rivers, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Governor Nyako of Adamawa, Governor Ahmed of Kwara, and Governor Lamido of Jigawa with President Jonathan on how to resolve the self-inflicted crisis in our party. “We wish to specifically urge Nigerians and our supporters to ignore the concocted tales of Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom and chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum. Akpabio lied by claiming that we have accepted that President Jonathan should contest the 2015 presidential election and that most of our demands are being met. The fact of the case is that no agreement has been reached on any of the issues we tabled before the president and until we see results, Nigerians should ignore the present efforts by the Tukur camp to deceive them. “We wish to say that we have a mechanism and system of electing our flag-bearers for any election and until the time to choose the party’s presidential flag-bearer comes, any speculation on this is just a mere academic exercise.” Draconian Tendency There are insinuations that the real agenda of the Baraje faction may be to join the Peoples Democratic Movement or the All Progressives Congress. But before then, indications are that the federal government may enact draconian measures against supporters of the New PDP. Already, this appears to be happening with the ongoing closure of New PDP offices across the country. The period before the October 7 date for the resumption of peace negotiations may, therefore, merely be an interlude for both sides in the PDP crisis to prepare for what looks set to be a drawn out battle. Tags: Politics , Nigeria , Featured , Towards 2015 23 Sep 2013
Posted on: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 00:08:39 +0000
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