Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors and National Working Committee (NWC) members of the party have expressed concern over the lingering feud between President Goodluck Jonathan and Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, warning that if the crisis of confidence between the duo is not resolved on time, it could hurt the party’s fortunes in the 2015 polls.
Party sources told the press Monday that the governors having watched the frosty relationship between the president and Amaechi take a turn for the worse, warned that the party should do all it can to reconcile the duo.
The feud between Mr President and Governor Amaechi boiled over following a report of a plot hatched by the presidency to remove Amaechi as the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).
From all indication, the presidency was uncomfortable with the governor’s continued leadership of the NGF, which it was believed, he could use as a launch pad for his rumoured bid for the vice-presidency in the 2015 presidential election.
This, aides and associates of the president have argued, could threaten the unconfirmed second term bid of Jonathan, who like Amaechi, is from the South-south geopolitical zone.
In an effort to distabilize Amaechi, President Jonathan it is believed created the PDP governors forum and placed a close associate as it head, this move it is believed has led to a division in the party as we now have Pro and Anti Amaechi Governors.
but in recent times, the anti-Amaechi camp has found it difficult to achieve their objectives as even the PDP governors are divided over the matter.
Amid the raging crisis over the NGF chairmanship election, PDP sources said the feud between the president and Amaechi was at variance with the reconciliation agenda being pursued by the party at the national level.
A governor is quoted as saying “What is happening between the presidency and the Rivers State governor is very worrisome for some of us”.
“Here we are preaching reconciliation on one part, yet there is a raging feud between the presidency and the Rivers State governor. This is coming when we say in PDP that we want to retain power in 2015. Some of us equate the crisis to that of a bull in a china shop.
“Some of us are appealing for restraints, because the crisis is one that will do the party no good. Some of us are also appealing to elders of the PDP to step into this feud before it is too late.”
It is gathered that even some members of the Nation Working Commitee (NWC) are not happy over the feud between the president and Amaechi.
An NWC member, who spoke on the issue said: “What is happening between the presidency and the Rivers State governor is cause for concern for some of us.
“Both the presidency and the governor should know that their actions, whether overtly or covertly, could have a negative effect on the unity of the party.
“Some of us are aware that the governors of the party are not happy, but there is nothing we can do because some of us are even being threatened with sack because of this report from INEC that said the NWC of the party is not properly composed.
“But this is actually the time for the Board of Trustees (BoT) to act. They should intervene as the custodians of the party because elders don’t stay at home and allow a tethered goat to give birth under such a circumscribed condition.”
Governor Aliyu believes that it would amount to a waste of time and energy for anyone to cause a crisis in the NGF.
“Nobody can kill the Nigerian Governors’ Forum. Even the other segments like the Northern Governors’ Forum or the PDP Governors’ Forum would all be subservient to the main governors’ forum no matter what happens during the election for a new chairman of the party.
“People should stop wasting their time in trying to clip the wings of the governors. A little part of the crisis in the PDP today is this desire to clip the wings of the governors and you cannot,” he added