THE fence-mending efforts by the
Peoples Democratic Party failed on Sunday when the Chairman of the Nigerian
Governors’ Forum, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, Delta State Governor
Emmanuel Uduaghan and some other dignitaries walked out of the party’s
South-South zonal meeting.
The Port Harcourt meeting took place
just as the factions of the PDP in the South-West disagreed on the
outcome of a similar parley in the zone.
Our correspondent in Rivers
reported that Akwa Ibom State Governor and Chairman of the PDP Forum,
Chief Godswill Akpabio, had begun addressing the gathering when
Amaechi and Uduaghan walked out.
But the PDP National Chairman,
Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who was present at the meeting, defended the governors’
action.
He specifically referred to Uduaghan,
whom he claimed rushed home to attend to an important family
matter.
However, the Rivers State
Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim
Semenitari said that
Amaechi left the venue of the meeting to see off the Delta State
governor.
Amaechi did not return to the venue
before the meeting ended.
Semenitari said, “You noticed
that the Governor of Delta State was leaving at the same time, Governor Amaechi
had to be a proper host. So he had to see off his colleague, the governor of
Delta state.
“I do not see any reason Governor
Amaechi would feel insulted by the comments of Governor Akpabio because
he (Akpabio) was responding to the comment of Governor Uduaghan.
“The people were obviously the ones
who responded, the Governor of Rivers State had no interest in that.
Governor Akpabio thought it necessary to dole out some charity to the various
states visiting as chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum. That might be one of
the ways he felt like reaching out to the people.”
Akpabio had announced a
donation of N1m to each state chairman of the party in the South-South based on
Uduaghan’s call that members of the party should be well-fed by the PDP.
The announcement by Akpabio
appeared to have angered Amaechi, Uduaghan and some members of the PDP in
attendance.
Uduaghan had said earlier that even
if all the roads were tarred, members of the PDP would appreciate the provision
of food on their tables.
He said, “I join all my brothers in
the South-South in welcoming you (Tukur). Even as an elected governor, I must
tell you this. Even if you tar all the roads in the South-South without putting
food on the table, our members will not appreciate the party.
“If you want to prevent our members
from going to other parties, you must put food in the stomach of our
supporters.”
But Akpabio, apparently
responding to Uduaghan’s speech, added that the N1m should be used by the party
chairmen for their launch in order not to defect to other political parties.
“My brother; Governor, Uduaghan said
our members are hungry and that we must put food in their stomachs so that they
don’t stray to other parties. I am giving all the state chairmen of the party
N1m each for lunch. Our members must not be hungry,” he said.
In a veiled reference to the
2015 election, Akpabio urged party faithful to support President Goodluck
Jonathan.
The PDP Governors’ Forum chairman
appealed to members of the party to see the success of Jonathan as
that of the South-South.
“There is a hand of God in
every position of leadership. Bayelsa is, perhaps the smallest state in
Nigeria, but God decided to choose Goodluck Jonathan from Bayelsa State to
become the President. We must all support our brother to succeed. For us, we
shall not fail and we will never fail,” Akpabio added.
He, however, urged Tukur to
make sure that the reconciliation meeting of the party was held twice every
year.
Akpabio assured that the PDP would
win 30 states in the 2015 elections if such measure was taken by the national
leadership of the party.
He said, “The party needs unity and
cohesion to win. We must compensate the disciples in each state. If you are not
a good follower, you cannot be a good leader.”
But Tukur, defended the action of the
governors, who left the meeting, saying the Delta State Governor was rushing
home to attend an important family matter.
He promised that the National Working
Committee of the party would do everything within its power to strengthen the
party.
Tukur said “You are the owners
of PDP. We will ensure that the party is brought back to the owners of the
party. Yes, there are disagreements, but we can end our differences and
still deliver our party in 2015.”
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Politics