Most of the governors elected on the platform of his party, the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are understood to be plotting to
sideline President Goodluck Jonathan in their plan to rebuild the
party.
The governors, outgoing and surviving, want to chart a new course
for the party with them in the driving seat.
But they are also disposed to bringing in as many of those
frustrated out by President Jonathan as possible, Continental
Inquirer gathered in Abuja yesterday.
Barring any alteration of their plan, the governors are expected
to go full blast from May 29, hijacking the party’s affairs from
President Jonathan whose tenure terminates on that day.
One of those the governors have listed to bring back to the party
under the reformation plan is former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who
shredded his PDP membership card in the run up to the just concluded
presidential election, and publicly campaigned against the
President’s return to office for what he termed below par
performance.
Also likely to be brought in is the Second Republic Vice President
Alex Ekwueme, who engineered the founding of the PDP during the late
Gen Sani Abacha regime.
Sources said yesterday that Friday’s public castigation of
President Jonathan by Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State for
causing the fall of the PDP from power in the elections, was not a
co-incidence.
Aliyu who doubles as Chairman, Northern Governors Forum said in
Minna that President Jonathan and PDP’s defeat in the elections was
caused largely by his failure to keep to the alleged single term
agreement he reached with the North on assumption of office.
Besides, the reformation plan is believed to have informed a
recent meeting in Dutse, Jigawa State attended by Governor Sule
Lamido of Jigawa, ex-Governor Orji Uzor Kalu and others.
“Some PDP governors, ex-governors and party leaders have started
talking on how to revive the party and restore its glory as a
democratic party,” said one source.
“It might involve doing away with the present crop of leaders in
the party to restore the PDP to its pre-1999 era. Some of the present
leaders of the party have been rated as ‘mere usurpers’ because
they have destroyed it.
“One of the issues on the card is how to snatch the party from
the grip of President Jonathan who brought in the present National
Working Committee (NWC) which failed to sustain the party’s winning
streak.
“We
will not allow any individual to own the party anymore. Even if you
are a former president, you have equal right as any member of the
party. This is what has made the African National Congress (ANC) of
South Africa to survive over the years, including the apartheid
period.”
Another source said: “The reformation of PDP might be pioneered
by some of the founding fathers of the party like Chief Ekwueme and
other members of the Board of Trustees of the party.
“It might involve bringing in on board former Vice President
Atiku Abubakar, former national chairmen of the party, ex-governors,
past elected leaders and others who can help to revitalise the party.
“It is going to be a total overhaul of the party from the
grassroots because we realised that we have really lost our goodwill
and focus as a national party.”
Alhaji Atiku has repeatedly said he has no intention whatsoever to
dump the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the PDP.
He has turned down several overtures from the leadership of the
PDP to jump ship including a recent personal visit to his Abuja
residence by President Jonathan.
Sunday 19 April 2015
The Governors move to hijack PDP from Jonathan
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