G7 Governors /Goodluck's Negotiation Run Into Hitches

There are strong indications that that the negotiations between President Goodluck Jonathan and the seven Peoples Democratic Party governors may have collapsed.

It will be recalled that Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso of Kano State,   said their  romance with  the All Progressives Congress, was   an indication that they  were  on their  way to the APC.

At the last peace meeting  between Jonathan, the aggrieved governors and  the leadership of the New Peoples Democratic Party   on October 7, further deliberations   were adjourned with an understanding   that they   would  resume after the Muslim and Christian pilgrimages.

Jonathan returned from  Israel nine days ago and since then there has been no indication that the  talks  between him and the aggrieved governors  would continue.

A  reliable Presidency source   said  in Abuja  on Thursday that the President might  no longer be favourably  disposed to  further discussions with the G-7 governors and other members of the New PDP.

The source said the best the President could do   was  to ask   Vice-President Namadi Sambo to continue with the discussions on his behalf.

He said the way the governors had  been openly romancing with the APC had  convinced the President that their hearts  were no longer in the PDP.

The source added that rather than wasting his time on those who had made up their minds to weaken the PDP before leaving it, the President and his team  would henceforth concentrate on mobilising members whose hearts and souls  remained in  the party.

 He  said, “I can tell you authoritatively that the battle line has been drawn with them (the aggrieved governors).

 “They (the governors) have crossed the line. President Jonathan will no longer meet with them.

“To give  a semblance of  listening to them,  the President  will ask the Vice-President to meet with them(rebel governors). But the President will not do that again.

“There is nothing new that they can bring again. It is clear with their romance with the leaders of the APC that their hearts are no longer in the PDP.

“It is also clear that what they want to do is to weaken the party before they will finally leave.

“Rather than wasting time on them, we will now concentrate on mobilising members whose hearts are still in the party. The truth is that we can no longer trust them.”

Kwakwanso   had at a dinner organised  by the Progressive Governors’ Forum     in Abuja on Wednesday,  said the    rebel    governors’  romance with   APC  was   an indication that they  were no longer interested in remaining in the PDP.

Kwakwanso,  represented by his Special Adviser on Sports, Mr.  Ahmed Gara,  noted that the rebel governors, who are the linchpin of the New PDP,  were   happy  to be associated with the APC.

He said, “We are happy to be associated with the APC. We are still consulting concerning the invitation sent to us by the party to defect.

“In fact, our coming here shows that we are on our way to the APC. But as soon as we are done with the consultations, we would let the world know.”

Apart from the Kano State governor, others in the G-7 are  Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Babangida Aliyu (Niger);  Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa);  Abdulfatah  Ahmed (Kwara);   and    Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto).

At the event,   one of the APC leaders and a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, described the seven aggrieved PDP  governors  as “beautiful brides.”

He asked them and others he referred to as progressives, to join hands in order to prevent rigging of elections in 2015.

Buhari, who is also a prominent APC leader,  had  broken  his silence on the proposed national conference, saying it was conceived by the  PDP-led Federal Government  to cover up  its many inadequacies.