NGF crisis: PDP governors set to reconcile Jonathan, Amaechi — Akpabio

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have launched a peace initiative to reconcile Governor Rotimi Amaechi with President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the ruling party.

Governor Amaechi is currently on suspension for allegedly suspending the chairman and councillors of Obio/Akpor Local Council.

The national leadership of the PDP wants the suspension of the council reversed.

The governor declined, saying the suspension was imposed by the state House of Assembly to enable it investigate the alleged corruption in the council.

The PDP Governors’ Forum is led by Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State who was drafted by the party leadership to chair the newly created forum apparently to diminish the influence of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and its chairman, Amaechi, who was bent on running for a second term.

Amaechi went on to win the NGF election by 19 votes to the 16 for Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau who was highly favoured by the Presidency and the PDP.

Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State who was also suspended for insubordination to the party’s national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, was recalled last week.

It was gathered yesterday that the PDP governors are desperate to end the feud between Amaechi and the party with a view to healing the wounds inflicted on the PDP by the face-off.

The reconciliation is said to have been categorised as priority by the peace initiators.

However ,the planned talks may come with some strings attached.

Akpabio, speaking to reporters in Abuja yesterday, said: “The forum is working round the clock to ensure all outstanding issues are resolved and all its members brought back to the forum to enable them participate fully in all activities of the party.

“The reconciliation among the governors is already ongoing. If you noticed yesterday (Thursday’s NEC meeting), we had almost all the governors of the PDP there. You saw almost every governor was there; even the recently recalled governor of Sokoto State attended the meeting.

“So, almost all the PDP governors were there. If there was any PDP governor that wasn’t there yesterday, he was probably on official duty for the Federal Government and for the nation.

“I know that the governor of Benue State, Governor Suswam, is a member of the NIPP Committee, running around, looking for investors in the power sector and I think they travelled to Hong Kong.

“So, he wasn’t there and I think his deputy was there too. So, you can see that peace is gradually returning to the fold of the entire PDP and I assure you that all issues will be resolved.

“A pressman asked me the other day that, yes, you have recalled the governor of Sokoto State through the National Working Committee; what about the governor of Rivers State.

“And I pointed out that the governor of Sokoto State didn’t go to court and that the other matter, regarding my brother, the governor of Rivers State, is in court and was, therefore, subjudice.

“But we are exploring all means to ensure out of court settlement and to bring back everybody to the fold. It is important to note that we are very determined in the PDP Governors’ Forum to bring our brothers back together.”

He said the PDP is determined to increase the number of its governors and not to deplete it.

His words: “The intention of our forum isn’t to lose a single governor; instead, we want to increase in the number. Because when I came in as a governor in 2007, we had almost 29 governors in the PDP.

“But through various court judgments and internal wrangling, the number depleted until we are now about 23.”

He stressed the need for the party to put its act together before the November governorship election in Anambra and the 2014 elections in Osun and Ekiti states. The three states are being controlled by the opposition.

“I can tell you we are lucky that we have elections coming up in November in Anambra State. We have two elections coming up in Osun and Ekiti states next year (2014) and the PDP is ready to work together, put its house in order and go out there and face the electorate.

“And you know very well that outside internal wrangling, Nigerians believe in the PDP.”

Akpabio said the last meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) signified the progress in the party’s reconciliatory efforts.

The camp of Gov. Amaechi declined to speak on the peace proposal last night.

The governor’s chief press secretary, Mr. David Iyofor, said he had no comment to make on the matter when contacted.