Why we’re angry with Jonathan, PDP – Rebel govs

The seven aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party on Monday opened up on the cause of their dispute with President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of their party.

They said the President had refused to act on the issues they raised with him during their meetings with him and some leaders of the party on how to restore normalcy to the troubled party.

Apart from that, they said the President had refused to act on issues discussed with the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo-led Elders Committee and the reports presented to him.

Rather than act, they said Jonathan and his people bluntly turned down the report.

The governors stated this in the communique of the meeting, which they held in Abuja on Sunday night.

The communique was signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the New PDP, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze.

The governors are Aliyu Wamakko(Sokoto), Sule Lamido(Jigawa), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Babangida Aliyu(Niger), Abdulfatai Ahmed(Kwara ) Murtala Nyako(Adamawa) and Rabiu Kwankwanso(Kano).

Apart from the governors, others in their group are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and some former governors like Bukola Saraki(Kwara), Shaba Lagiagi(Kwara), Danjuma Goje(Gombe) and Abdulahhi Adamu (Nasarawa).

Others are a former acting National Chairman of the party, who is now leading the New PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje; Deputy Chairman, Sam Sam Jaja; a former National Secretary of the party, who is occupying the same position in the faction, Prince  Olagunsoye Oyinlola; and Vice-Chairman, North-West of the PDP,  Ibrahim Kazuare, among others.

Eze said the Sunday meeting reviewed all the peace meetings so far held with Jonathan and the Dr. Bamanga Tukur-led PDP and commended the aggrieved governors for the maturity they had exhibited since the beginning of the crisis.

He said, “Some of the demands presented by our governors include the need to reverse the impunity in Rivers State, where a sitting Governor was suspended from the party against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the PDP Constitution, and refusing to uphold the result of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum election that saw Governor Amaechi winning 19 to 16 votes against Governor Jonah Jang.

“Others include our request for the removal of Tukur as our party National Chairman, knowing his flawed election as our party Chairman, and ending the impunity in Adamawa State, among other demands that will put PDP in a strong position as a political party. For reasons not to clear to some of us, these failed to receive the blessing of Mr. President.

“To us, we see all these as attempts by the Tukur faction to destroy the party, seeing that they (those in Tukur’s group) have no stake in the party anymore.”

Punch