Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has been regarded as the brain behind the current woes of the peoples Democratic party. This is beginning to come to light when the major stakeholders suspected that Obasanjo has been instigating the activities of the splinter group behind the scene.
Hence, President Goodluck Jonathan urged the party bigwigs to do away with him in the peace-making process.
The meeting of the PDP elders meant to facilitate the resolution of the party’s current tight spot which was slated for today in Abuja was called off unexpectedly, owing to intelligence reports the presidency got wind of that Obasanjo was fully involved in the party’s crises. But President Jonathan will preside over another meeting which was already slated to hold next Tuesday.
President Goodluck urged the elders to boycott the meeting which was expected to feature former chairmen and notable leaders of the PDP.
A source however revealed that “all was well” until Thursday’s evening when it was learnt that the President has opposed to Obasanjo presiding over the meeting.
“He believes that Obasanjo is the architect of the crises; he shouldn’t be called to settle it and be seen as a peacemaker.”
Obasanjo’s has not dierectly reacted to the accusations and his media aide, Vitalis Ortese also declined to comment on the statements of a group loyal to the presidency.
“I cannot speak on what a faceless group is saying”, he told a reporter on the telephone.
Meanwhile the group, Media Network for Transformation (MNT) said to be loyal to the president, alleged in a statement that Obasanjo “is the architect of the crises”.
According to its Coordinator, Mr. Goodluck Ebelo, the MNT urged Obasanjo to either renounce his associates in the New PDP or be treated like those rated as rebels by the party.
The statement read in part: “We call on former President Olusegun Obasanjo to call his associates to order. Apart from being their sponsor, the rebel governors draw their inspiration from him.
“Apart from numerous clandestine meetings, former President Obasanjo started his public romance with the rebel flank when he became unavoidably absent at this year’s Democracy Day celebration in Abuja, but vigorously participated in the day’s activities in Dutse, Jigawa State. That was followed by the rebel governors’ visit to his Abeokuta home.
“Then came last Saturday, and Chief Obasanjo’s mischief literarily flew over the Eagle Square venue of the Special Convention. Unavoidably absent, again, he was to turn up the next day in church, at the Presidential Villa, made a few platitudinous remarks on the need for a peaceful resolution of the crisis and thereafter called a meeting . His meeting failed and will continue to fail.
“Obasanjo cannot continue to be hands of Esau and the voice of Jacob at the same time. No arbiter, who is the guiding light of the rebels, can make peace. Peace, in this matter, will continue to elude President Obasanjo because his activities are the very antithesis of the conditions precedent to peace.”
The group lamented that it is unfortunately that Obasanjos eight-year tenure in office provides no road map to resolving a political dispute, adding that all that can be gleaned from the debris of his time in power are abuse of institutions of State in shutting down dissent, hounding political opponents into prison and forcing a party chairman to resign.
“President Obasanjo has to come out publicly to renounce his ties with the seven governors who are trying to impose their will on the remaining 29 states and the Federal Capital Territory or acknowledge them and be treated like them.”
Despite that the President Jonathan has yet to open up on his political ambition for 2015, MNT insisted that “he is free to run again”.
It said: “The governors are welcome to contest the PDP primaries, individually or present a candidate. That’s democracy. But for persons, who themselves, stood for elections for their second terms to demand that Mr. President cannot avail himself such amenity is not only rude but feudal.”
MNT urged Obasanjo to should call his associates in the Kawu Baraje faction of the party to order.
The group stated “Obasanjo could not continue to be the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob at the same time”.
The group said “no arbiter, who is the guiding light of the rebels can make peace”.
Besides, National Chairman Bamanga Tukur of thePDP faction described members of the Kawu Baraje’s faction as “prodigal sons” who would be accepted back into the fold, if they retraced their steps.