Former President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday alleged deliberate misinterpretation of his efforts to resolve the crisis tearing the Peoples Democratic Party PDP) apart.
According to THE NATION, He blamed those who do not wish the party well for originating “the conjectures.”
Such people, Jonathan’s media adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, said in a statement in Abuja, “are not happy with the current reconciliation efforts.”
Eze said that since last Tuesday when Jonathan met PDP governors in continuation of the mediation efforts “the media space has been inundated with clearly off-the-mark speculations, presenting often contradictory perspectives on the on-going consultations towards resolving the issues in the PDP.”
He urged the public and well-meaning PDP members to “ignore such misleading conjectures as they are obviously the handiwork of those who do not wish the party well, and are therefore not happy with the current reconciliation efforts.
“The fact that the chairman of the PDP governors’ forum and Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, promptly addressed journalists at the end of the meeting, to the effect that an agreement was reached on seeking a political solution in resolving the differences in the party, clearly showed that there was no ambiguity in messaging.”
“It is obvious that those behind the misleading publications have failed to achieve their aim, as the former president has seamlessly continued with the consultations and reconciliatory meetings.”
It is instructive to note that since the meeting of last Tuesday with the governors, ex-President Jonathan has also met with many other key leaders of the party, including the chairman, Board Of Trustees (BOT), Sen Walid Jibrin, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi, in line with his resolve to carry all the organs of the party along.
“There is no doubt that the statesmanship evident in the former president’s reconciliation efforts precludes his laying preconditions, as is deliberately being misrepresented by a section of the media.
“We hereby reiterate that the former president is determined to continue on this path of inclusive dialogue, by working with the governors, the Board of Trustees (BOT), members of the national assembly and other key stakeholders, until the internal dispute is finally resolved.”
Jonathan urged the public and party members to continue to support the peace process, and not to listen to rumours, saying he would address them on the positive outcome of the consultations at the appropriate time.
The PDP is currently torn between Senators Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi who are laying claim to the leadership of the party.
The Court of Appeal recently conferred legitimacy on Sheriff as the authentic chairman of the party and sacked the caretaker committee led by Makarfi.