The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) launched a frantic action on Thursday to check the threats of the newly formed All Progressive Congress (APC).
Vice-President Namadi Sambo met with the warring leaders of the party for about one and a half hours at the Presidential Villa,Abuja, to close ranks.
The second leg of the initiative is a planned reconciliation with estranged party leaders.
The PDP G-84 (state chairmen and secretaries, ex-officio, and deputy members of the National Working Committee) is to mediate in the crisis between PDP governors and the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.
Vice President Sambo, who heads the reunification committee ahead of the 2015 polls, met with the G-84 members at the Presidential Villa for about one and a half hours on Thursday night.
The G-84 members had petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan, alleging that they were being marginalised in the scheme of things by Tukur and NWC members.
Their complaints sparked tension in the party and made it impossible for the National Executive Committtee (NEC) to meet since July 2012.
The emergence of the APC (a merger of the ACN, CPC, ANPP and APGA) however forced the PDP leaders into a review of the political situation and the exigencies of resolving the party’s internal differences.
It was learnt that Sambo used the meeting to appeal to members of the G-84 and leaders of the party to “bury their differences and move the party forward.”
A stalwart of the PDP at the session, who spoke in confidence, said: “Though the merger of three or four parties was not on the agenda, some members raised issues about it at the meeting.
“Their fears were borne out of the fact that if the crisis in the party was not addressed, the merging parties could take advantage of it.
“The Vice-President and other leaders at the session asked members to be united and focused to prevent the APC from infiltrating PDP.”
Another source said: “The meeting agreed that those leaders who have become estranged should be reconciled as part of steps to address the crisis in our party. The 2011 polls divided PDP but we will take stock and make amends where necessary.
“We resolved to rebuild the PDP towards the 2015 poll. So, as the opposition parties are strategising, the ruling party is not taking things for granted at all. We will reunite to put our party on sound footing.”
Responding to a question, the source said: “The G-84 members will soon meet with PDP governors and NWC members to resolve all pending issues. This is part of the reconciliation agenda adopted at the meeting with Sambo.”
A third source claimed that the G-84 members made some observations on some programmes of the government.
He said: “We expressed dissatisfaction that we are not benefitting from the empowerment programmes or schemes of the government at all levels. Yet, we are the foot-soldiers and points of contact with the grassroots.
“We faulted the way the SURE-P scheme is being managed. We begged the Vice-President to prevail on President Goodluck Jonathan to make the scheme more open for many Nigerians to benefit.
“Another important issue we raised was about ministers. We told the VP that they are personalising the offices or the positions they are occupying. The ministers are inaccessible, even if we want to give advice. They believe they became ministers on their own merits without the input of the party.
“I think we are moving forward. We will reconcile ahead of 2015.”
The G-84 members, in their memo to the President, joined issues with Tukur and the NWC on the following allegations:
•Arbitrary attitude of NWC members on issues and programmes of the party.
•Exclusion of elected party officers by NWC
•Need for equity, fairness and justice before the party
•A case for reconciliation of all aggrieved party members to move forward
•Breach of PDP constitution by not holding National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting
•Wrongful and consistent misinterpretation of PDP constitution.
•Management of the party in a cultish nature
•Wasting of party resources on personal events, functions, and chartering of aircraft
.Stoppage of arbitrary sharing of honorarium in cash and kind.
TheNation
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