The Peoples Democratic Party has said
it has no plans to wade into the rift between President Goodluck Jonathan and
former President Olusegun Obasanjo, over the best way to tackle militancy and
terrorism in the country.
The National Publicity Secretary of
PDP, Olisa Metuh, said that the party had not seen any reason to intervene in
the argument.
He stated that though Jonathan and Obasanjo
had expressed divergent opinions on the 1999 invasion of Odi, it did not amount
to conflict between them.
Metuh said, “You only reconcile
people who have a misunderstanding or are in a squabble. As far as the party is
concerned, there is no quarrel between President Goodluck Jonathan and former
President Olusegun Obasanjo, so there is no plan to reconcile them.
“Though both of them have expressed
divergent opinions on some national issues, both of them are still working
together towards deepening democracy in Nigeria and making sure that we deliver
on our promises to the people.”
Earlier, the National Secretary of
the PDP, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, had dispelled speculations that there were
political differences between Jonathan and Obasanjo.
Oyinlola said, “Some individuals want
to use the controversy surrounding the Odi killings to set the two leaders of
the PDP against each other.
“There is no friction between the
President and Obasanjo. The issue of Odi killings will not cause hostility
between the two leaders of our party.”
The argument between the two PDP
leaders ensued about three weeks ago in Warri, during the celebration of Pastor
Ayo Oritsajefor’s 40 years in the ministry. Obasanjo told the gathering that
Jonathan was guilty of allowing terrorism to fester, without taking a decisive
action.
He used the invasion of Odi in
Bayelsa State and Zaki Biam in Benue State as examples of his decisive actions
against militancy while in government.
During the November 18 Presidential
Media Chat, Jonathan replied Obasanjo, saying Odi invasion was a failed
exercise, which resulted in the death of the aged and children, and not the
militant youths.
Special Assistant on Public Affairs
and subsequently Minister of Aviation during Obasanjo’s regime, Femi
Fani-Kayode later said Jonathan got the facts of Odi invasion wrong and that
the action of the Obasanjo-led government arrested the incessant killings of
security operatives by militants in the Niger Delta.