THE crisis rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) may be far from over, as there are strong signals that the presidency may
reject the demands and peace terms allegedly presented by the Abubakar
Baraje-led faction, which was adopted by the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo-led peace
committee.
The terms allegedly set before the
Obasanjo-led elders’committee included reinstatement of Rivers State governor,
Mr Rotimi Amaechi; sack of PDP chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; resolution of
Adamawa party executive in favour of Governor Murtala Nyako, among others.
Although it was not a part of the
five-point action plan, a source said the aggrieved governors gave a commitment
to support President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid if he so desires,
provided they would be assured with an undertaking that the president would not
victimise any of them.
These terms, it was gathered, may be
adopted by the Obasanjo-led panel at a meeting slated for tomorrow in Abuja.
Impeccable source told the Nigerian
Tribune that the peace term was asking the president to surrender to the
Baraje-led faction, even when it had failed to act within the party’s
constitutional framework, declaring that “this president will not surrender to
blackmail.”
While reaffirming the readiness of
President Jonathan for reconciliation, it was learnt that the peace terms may
be rejected if they were one-sided and presented as if the Baraje-led group had
done nothing wrong.
Sources in the administration said
that the presidency had questions to raise on the emerging report of the
elders’ committee, adding that the report was one sided.
“When you take a look at the report,
there are questions agitating the minds. The question is what is the other
faction that calls itself New PDP giving back? Resolution of crisis are
achieved with a give and take approach. A resolution cannot be one-sided. How
come all the recommendations appear to indict the PDP hierarchy and the
government?
“Are they saying Governor Amaechi is
completely right, both in the crisis in Rivers and that of the Nigeria
Governors’ Forum? Are they saying Nyako is right by holding a congress that
excluded other leaders of the party in the state? If the president’s side is to
concede to all the peace demands, what is the Baraje faction giving in return?”
Another presidency source pointed out
that there could only be peace when both sides were seen to be putting
something on the table, asking “how can there be peace when one side is asked
to surrender to its opponents?”
According to the source, “we agree
there are issues to be addressed. We agree there must be horse trading. What
they propose is unacceptable and the president is bitter that such one-sided
proposals could be contemplated at all.”
It was gathered that the development
had led to the non-compliance posture within the president’s camp, with a group
said to be having the upper hand on how to tackle the crisis.
The group was said to have submitted
a comprehensive plan to handle the uprising, but was overruled by the president
and other liberals, who reportedly canvassed for negotiation and consensus to
resolve the matter.
As
put by an administration source, “the group may be having its way with the
reported peace terms. Consensus is growing that the president should apply the
stick rather than just relying on carrots.”
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Politics