Defection: Rebel PDP governors meet today

Seven aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party will meet in Abuja on Sunday night (today) to strategise on how to face the challenges before them. The meeting, which is holding at the Sokoto State Governor’s Lodge, is expected to be attended by all the seven governors, who claim to be disenchanted with the running of the party at the national level PDP governors expected at the meeting are Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Aliyu Babangida (Niger), Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara) Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Rabiu Kwankwanso (Kano). A very reliable source in the faction said senators, stakeholders, some members of the National Working Committee of the faction were also expected at the Sunday meeting. Investigations by our correspondent in Abuja, on Saturday, showed that the agenda for the meeting, which is expected to begin around 8pm, include the refusal by the Independent National Electoral Commission to grant the splinter group recognition the verdict of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which declined the request of the faction for recognition and the planned defection of the governors. In addition to the the governors, others in the faction are former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and some former governors like Bukola Saraki (Kwara), Shaba Lagiagi (Kwara) and Abdulahi Adamu (Nasarawa). A former Acting National Chairman of the party, Mr. Kawu Baraje and National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, are both chairman and national secretary of the faction respectively. It was also learnt that at today’s meeting, the faction would marshal its points on issues to be tabled before President Goodluck Jonathan and other leaders of the party. A peace meeting with the President, which was postponed due to the just concluded Hajji, was aimed at resolving the differences between the governors and the leadership of the party. Before the postponement of the meeting, President Jonathan, his deputy, Namadi Sambo and the Chairman of the Board of a Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, and few governors from the ruling party, had met with the aggrieved governors on how to smoothen the relationship between the aggrieved governors and the party. Our correspondent learnt that the next date for the meeting would be known as soon as the President returned from his pilgrimage to Israel. A very reliable source among the rebel governors, added that the meeting would also decide on the way forward for the New PDP members. He said, “We would meet on Sunday. We are calling the meeting, which we have named ‘caucus meeting,’ it will comprise governors, senators, former governors, stakeholders, few of our NWC members and very senior members of the party. “It is a strategic meeting aimed at redefining the struggle and see whether to sustain it or not. The meeting will also see if there are possibilities for us moving to another party if all peace moves fail.” When asked, the spokesperson for the New PDP, Chukwuemeka Eze neither confirmed nor denied the meeting. He merely said, “Just wait and see.” It was gathered majority of the aggrieved governors were pushing for their defect to the All Progressives Congress, while few of them favoured the formation of new political party. But the majority of the governors were said to have argued that it was too late to form a new party. “So, we said it would be better to stay with the APC instead of forming a new party now. It is too late.” the source said.