Jonathan to governors: I didn’t promise one term
Rivers
State Governor Rotimi Amaechi is to be recalled from suspension, a Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) source told The Nation yesterday.
This is
one of the four concessions made by President Goodluck Jonathan to the Group of
Seven governors (G7) at a meeting on Sunday.
But the
President was said to have been adamant on 2015, insisting that he never said
he would not seek re-election.
He claimed
that what he said in Ethiopia was that he would not be a party to tenure
elongation.
According
to sources, who spoke on the peace talks at the Presidential Villa, the meeting
was “conciliatory”.
One of
the sources said: “For the first time, the meeting was conciliatory; there was
no tension on all issues, unlike the case at the previous sessions.”
The
President came to the meeting with Vice-President Namadi Sambo; the Chairman of
the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, the Chairman of the PDP
Governors’ Forum, Obong Godswill Akpabio; the governors of Kogi and Cross River
states, Capt Idris Wada and Liyel Imoke.
On the
side of the G-7 were the governors of Adamawa, Niger, Rivers, Kwara, Sokoto,
Jigawa and Kano
“There
were preliminary talks on why it is important to keep the party united. The
President said his disposition was that ‘whatever is going on is a family fight
which could be amicably resolved’. He spoke as a leader with national interest
above all other considerations.
“Everyone
also spoke on the fact that the issues at stake could be well-managed,” the
source said.
All
issues were reportedly treated one after the other. The President and his team
made the following concessions:
•immediate
lifting of the suspension of Governor Rotimi Amaechi by the Bamanga Tukur-led
PDP;
•return
of party structures to all the governors, including those of Rivers and Adamawa
states;
•raising
a committee to visit Rivers State, like it was the case with Adamawa State, to
build consensus and restore party structure to the governor; and the
•the
governors and party leaders should leave Jonathan to decide Tukur’s fate. One
of the aggrived governors’ conditions for peace is Tukur’s removal
On the
2015 poll, another source quoted the President as saying: ‘I did not give
anybody any commitment that I won’t seek re-election.”
The
source said: “Jonathan clarified that what he said in Ethiopia was that as a
democratic leader, he would not elongate his tenure under any guise. He said since
the crisis in the party was basically on 2015, it is a matter that can be
addressed later.
“His
body language suggested that he won’t compromise his ambition to contest in
2015. But it was not a major issue yet at the peace talks.”
Responding
to a question on the feasibility of the concessions, another source said: “The
President appeared willing, except that when it came to the crisis in Rivers
PDP, he said they were ready to return the executives of the party but they
needed to set up a committee that will go to the state to reunite all the
stakeholders.
“The
President was, however, straightforward on the recall of Amaechi from
suspension when he said his team could ‘announce the lifting of the suspension
right away’”
Sensing
the caveat on Rivers PDP, Amaechi simply said: “Don’t lift my suspension, until
everything is settled,” it was learnt.
On
Tukur, the source added, the President did not make any categorical statement
or commitment on Tukur, although he admitted that there was a sign of weakness
on some issues on the part of Tukur.
The
aggrieved governors reportedly said Jonathan could bring anyone to lead the
party, except Tukur.
Amaechi is expected to withdraw all cases in court,
respect the Presidency and party leadership. The media “war” should stop
because the crisis is heating up the polity and inflammatory comments capable
of dividing the country should be avoided, the meeting was said to have agreed.
It was
learnt that when the 2015 agenda came up, the President took on the Governor of
Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu.
A
source said he pointedly accused Aliyu of misleading Nigerians that he said he
would not seek a second term in office.
The
source added: “At a stage, it became a matter between Jonathan and Aliyu at the
meeting because the President felt bad that the governor had been hammering on
one term in office for him.
“There
was silence when the two leaders tried to sort themselves out on the 2015
thing.
“But
the governor countered the President by saying he made the commitment at Ethiopia,
United States, Expanded National Caucus Meeting and in the agreement he signed
with PDP governors.
“He
said there was nothing bad in asking the President to stand by his words to
allow power shift to the North in 2015.
“The
President said he did not at any time promise to spend one term in office.”
The
source quoted the President as saying” “I did not give anybody any commitment
that I won’t seek re-election.”
The
source said: “Jonathan clarified that what he said in Ethiopia was that as a
democratic leader, he would not elongate his tenure under any guise.
“The
President also reportedly told the session that on the events referred to by
Babangida, then there was an ongoing debate on a single term of six years for
Nigeria’s President. And he told his audience that he would not seek a second
term or elongate his tenure under any guise.
“Jonathan
said since the crisis in the party was basically on 2015, it is a matter that
can be addressed later.
“His
body language suggested that he won’t compromise his ambition to contest in
2015. But it was not a major issue yet at the peace talks.”
The
source added: “At a stage, Governors Godswill Akpabio, Liyel Imoke and Idris
Wada raised their voices against Aliyu, saying: ‘You cannot stampede the
President to spend one term in office, you cannot do that.”
The
Niger State Governor, however, inisted: “2015 is central to whatever compromise
the parties would reach and demanded that it should be properly addressed.
“The
issue might be addressed on October 7 when the groups reconvene. When the G-7
governors came out, they held a brief discussion and vowed to pursue one term
for Jonathan.”
The
session was, however, not without its drama. The communiqué was drafted by
Governor Liyel Imoke, who was part of the Jonathan team.
The
Jonathan team tried to sum up the session that the two warring groups had
almost “resolved the issues”, Amaechi wanted the mood captured in a manner
suggesting that “the two sides are still talking”.
But
Imoke went ahead to draft the communiqué and he gave the hand written copy to
Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State to read.
It was
learnt that it was at the point of drafting the communiqué that Governor Rabiu
Kwankwaso got to the meeting.
Although
Amaechi sustained his point but, Kwankwaso could not settle down enough to
grasp the issue at stake.
Only
the state-owned Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) was allowed to record the
reading of the communiqué.
Notwithstanding
the outcome of the peace talks, the G-7 and the Baraje faction of PDP met
behind closed doors yesterday.
The Nation
0 comments:
Post a Comment