Former President Olusegun Obasanjo who attended an early morning church service with President Goodluck Jonathan at the presidential villa today has called for an emergency meeting of elders of the party to urgently intervene in the factionalisation that hit the leadership of the party.
The crisis in the party hit the roof on Saturday when seven governors led other members of the party to hold a parallel convention along with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Abuja where they constituted a parallel leadership structure of the party with a former national chairman, Abubakar Kawu Baraje named the new national chairman and also a former governor and national secretary named the new national secretary of the faction.
Prominent members of the new PDP include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Governors Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Aliyu Babangida (Niger), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Abdufatah Ahmed (Kwara), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) and Chubuike Amaechi (Rivers). The intervention by Obasanjo is coming as there are indications that no fewer than four more governors are preparing to dump Jonathan and the party in the coming days.
A statement personally signed by Obasanjo today said “The situation in our ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (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 emphasize that the move will bring back peace and return the party to its vigorous and dynamic election-winning party that it has always been.
“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.”
Obasanjo was said to have returned to his Abeokuta home in the afternoon after his church meeting with President Jonathan in Abuja in the morning. He was said to have conveyed some meetings of some major stakeholders of the party at his residence on steps to take about the future of the party which has fallen apart.
A statement released earlier by the presidency had said “President Goodluck Jonathan met Sunday at the Presidential Villa with the 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 focused 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.”
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