The crack in the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) is widening, with President Goodluck
Jonathan’s decision not to consult the
aggrieved group of seven governors on the
choice of new ministers.
Nine ministers were relieved of their jobs last
week. Before then, Minister of Youth
Development Inuwa Abdulkadir from Sokoto
State had been sacked.
Those disengaged last week, ostensibly for
their loyalty to perceived “opponents” of the
President, are: Olugbenga Ashiru (Foreign
Affairs); , Ruqqayatu Rufai (Education);
Shamsudeen Usman.(National Planning); Amal
Pepple (Land and Urban Development); Hadiza
Mailafia, (Environment); Ita Ewa (Science and
Technology);Olusola Obada(Defence); Zainab
Kuchi(Power); and Tijani Bukar (Agriculture).
The tradition in the PDP has been for
governors to nominate candidates for minister
from among whom the President picks.
This will not apply now, a Presidency official,
who pleaded not to be named, told The Nation
last night. The thinking in official circles is that
the governors have bungled the opportunity to
have a say on the ministerial list.
The source said: “By visiting the National
Assembly on Tuesday , the Presidency felt the
governors had breached an agreement reached
with Jonathan on Sunday night.”
The President, said the source, tried to bring
everybody together but the governors violated
the ceasefire.
“So, the decision of the President and his
strategists is that none of the G-7 governors
will have input into the nomination of
candidates into the vacant 10 cabinet slots,” he
said, adding:
“All the nominees will be seriously screened to
prevent having moles in government.”
The source alleged that the attitude of some of
the governors and leaders of the Kawu Baraje
faction of the PDP confirmed one of the
reasons why some ministers were removed.
He spoke of security reports confirming that
some of the sacked ministers were leaking
Federal Executive Council(FEC) papers to the
aggrieved governors.
The Rotimi Amaechi faction of the Nigeria
Governors’ Forum (NGF) demanded for the
resignation of the Minister of Finance, Dr.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. This, to the Presidency,
confirms that the governors had some insights
into a few economic policies in the offing,
through the leaked council papers, and
decided to harass the minister”.
Also, there were indications yesterday that the
peace talks between President Jonathan and the
governors might be heading for a deadlock.
Another government functionary, who is one
of the strategists of the President, said: “With
the latest twist in the House, it will be difficult
for the President to return to the peace table
with the G-7 governors and Baraje faction on
October 7.
“The option already tabled before the President
by his strategists or think-tank is to damn the
consequences of the G-7. The President loses
nothing by ignoring these people.
“With the exception of Rivers and Kwara State,
the President lost in the remaining five states
during the 2011 poll. So, some of the
governors are not political assets in any
manner.”
Also yesterday, the Abubakar Baraje- led New
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) warned against
alleged attempts by certain members of the
National Assembly and forces in the Presidency
to impeach Senate President David Mark and
House Speaker Aminu Tambuwal.
The Baraje faction described the alleged move
as a misadventure capable of plunging the
country into a crisis of monumental
proportions.
In a statement by the National Publicity
Secretary of the New PDP, Chukwuemeka Eze,
yesterday, the party accused the Bamanga
Tukur- led PDP of working with the Presidency
to instigate the lawmakers.
Eze said the Presidency and the Tukur group
were rattled by the warm reception accorded
the G7 governors and leaders of the New PDP
by the leadership of the National Assembly
during their visit on Tuesday.
The statement reads: “We learnt of the sinister
plot to impeach both the Senate President,
Senator David Mark, and Speaker Aminu
Tambuwal in connection with the visit of the
progressive Governors and the National
Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) to the National Assembly on
Tuesday, September 17, 2013.
“To us, this plot by the hawks in the Presidency
is politics taken too far and illustrates the
extent to which they are prepared to go in
their determination to plunge this country into
chaos.
“We wish to warn those who are planning this
coup to desist forthwith as such a
misadventure is capable of plunging this nation
into a crisis of monumental proportions.
“These undemocratic elements should stop
overheating the polity just because of their
selfish ambitions. Those who feel that politics
is better practised by way of threats and the
unseating of those who do not share their
unprogressive thoughts should know that there
is a limit to how far they can push us”.
The New PDP commended Mark and Tambuwal
for their leadership qualities and urged them
not to lose sleep over the alleged plot, adding
that the visit was well intentioned and was part
of the efforts to resolve the lingering crisis in
the ruling party.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the progressive
Governors have for the past three months
been visiting past Heads of State and some
other great minds in their search for a
peaceful way out of the logjam in the PDP,
orchestrated by the failed Tukur leadership of
the party.
“Their visit to the National Assembly was just
in continuation of their nationwide tour. The
aim was to brief and rub minds with members
of the National Assembly on how to reposition
our great party to be united and face other
parties by 2015.
“Any other motive imputed into the visit is not
only mischievous but also a product of the
devilish imaginations of those reaching such
conclusions”, the statement added.
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