In a bid to rock the crisis rocking the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) which reached a new high on Saturday with the emergence of a faction, President Goodluck Jonathan held at least two meetings, with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and then with the 16 PDP governors.
He first met behind closed doors with Obasanjo for about two hours inside his official residence in the Presidential Villa, Abuja and then the governors, including four of the seven that are the arrowheads of the splinter group known as the new PDP.
The four are Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Muritala Nyako (Adamawa) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara).The other governors in the Group of Seven are Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers).
The G-7 and a founding member, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, had walked out of the PDP special convention in Abuja on Saturday and consequently, announced the formation of the new PDP.
Also in the faction are a former Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Kawu Baraje; a suspended National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; and a former National Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Jaja.
Their decision to walk out was said to have been caused by the way Dr. Bamanga Tukur and the Presidency had been running the party to the exclusion of other critical stakeholders.
Less than 24 hours after the splinter group emerged, Obasanjo, who did not attend the special national convention at the Eagles Square, Abuja, showed up at the Presidential Villa.
Decked in a white flowing dress (agbada) and a traditional cap, Obasanjo first joined Jonathan and his wife, Patience, for Sunday service at the Aso Villa Chapel, together with the President of Benin Republic, Boni Yayi .
After the service, Jonathan led his guests to the childrens’ church where they took turns to pray for the children.
The President, former President, Yayi and the Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, thereafter retired into the President’s residence “for lunch.”
It was however learnt that the President discussed issues bordering on the crisis in the PDP with Obasanjo and bilateral relations with Yayi.
It will be recalled that Wamakko, Aliyu, Kwankwaso, Nyako and Lamido had met with Obasanjo in his Abeokuta, Ogun State residence as part of their nationwide consultations over the state of the nation and the party.
They also met with former military dictators, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar and Gen. Ibrahim Babangida in Minna, Niger State.
As part of efforts to resolve the crisis, Obasanjo had in August met with PDP governors inside the Presidential Villa for two days.The meeting did not however yield any positive result.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, confirmed to journalists that Jonathan met with Obasanjo and Yayi after worshipping together at the chapel.
In a brief statement made available to journalists, Abati explained that Obasanjo did not participate in the bilateral talks between the President and Yayi. He however did not say what his boss discussed with the former President.
The statement reads, “President Goodluck Jonathan met on Sunday at the Presidential Villa with President Boni Yayi of neighbouring Benin Republic.
“Both leaders attended Sunday service together at the Villa Chapel before proceeding to the presidential residence for lunch and bilateral talks.
“The talks between them focussed on issues related to the strengthening of developmental cooperation between Nigeria and Benin Republic, including trade and economic relations.
“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo worshipped with President Jonathan and President Yayi at the Presidential Villa but did not participate in the talks between them.”
Obasanjo, however, also released a brief statement Sunday evening, where he expressed concern over the development and called on both sides to maintain the status quo. He gave assurance that a meeting of the elders of the PDP would be convened before the end of this matter over the matter.
The statement reads, “The situation in our ruling PDP after the convention on Saturday and the parallel convention same day has given great concern to all well-meaning members of the party and particularly to the elders of the party.
“While some select elders are making efforts to get the situation resolved as soon as possible, it is imperative to emphasise that the move will bring back peace and return it to its vigorous and dynamic election-winning ways.
“I want to passionately appeal to both sides for now to sheath their swords, maintain the status quo, with earliest conveyance of the elders’ meeting before the end of this week. Members are equally enjoined to remain calm until the elders’ complete their peace-making meeting.”
Hours after meeting with the former President and Yayi, Jonathan also held a crucial meeting with Governors Aliyu, Kwankwaso, Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Nyako (Adamawa), Idris Wada (Kogi), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), and Ahmed.
Others were Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Ramalan Yero (Kaduna), Garba Umar (Taraba Acting Governor), Seidu Dakingari (Kebbi), Theodore Orji (Abia), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe) and Jonah Jang (Plateau).
As at 9.25pm when Jonathan arrived the venue of the meeting, the 16 governors had taken their seats inside the First Lady’s conference room in the Presidential Villa
The PDP lawyer, Mr. Joe Gadzama (SAN), also attended the meeting alongside the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
As a the time of filing this report, the meeting was yet to be concluded.