Presidency places Atiku, Baraje, other PDP faction leaders under security watch

The presidency wants a heads up on the next game plan of the dissident PDP members.

President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered round-the-clock security surveillance on leaders of the breakaway faction of the Peoples Democratic Party led by Abubakar Baraje, in an extensive effort to foil the group’s activities and ensure its members do not launch a parallel office as planned.

Security officials told PREMIUM TIMES that the government, severely embarrassed by Saturday’s walkout by seven PDP governors from the party’s convention and the subsequent inauguration of a parallel leadership of the party, was poised to undermine the group’s plans and bring its leaders under check.

The central objective of the surveillance, our source said on Tuesday, would be to detect and disrupt the unveiling of a new headquarters for the party.

The new faction of the party is headed by Mr. Baraje, a former acting chairman of the PDP, and is backed by seven governors, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and several federal lawmakers.

“While the security agents are determined to stop Baraje and his people from opening any new office, the group on the other hand is determined to beat the security, and hoist their flags and possibly get a picture of the place widely circulated before the security people know what is going on,” a top security official said on Tuesday.

The splitting of the PDP, the latest in a series of the party’s troubles, deepened on Tuesday after efforts at reconciliation failed. A planned meeting on Tuesday to continue with talks was rescheduled, indicating the crisis would continue.

Mr. Baraje had told PREMIUM TIMES of the group’s plan to open a parallel secretariat on Tuesday. He said the secretariat was ready and that it was now been equipped with “the needed paraphernalia of office”.

He however declined to provide the exact address of the new secretariat, saying that would be contained in the invitation to be sent out to journalists later on Tuesday.

Other party officials said that was ostensibly to dodge any security interest, to allow the defiant party members launch the office, and in the least, hoist the party’s flag and take photographs.

Our sources say the government plans to disrupt any planned inauguration of the secretariat is a move reminiscent of the government’s response to a similar crisis in 2006.

Our source said currently some kind of “cat and mouse game” was ongoing between the officials and security agents.

Part of the president’s directive is for government operatives to monitor telephone calls, and meetings of the respective officials.

In 2006, as with the present split, the PDP broke into two formidable groups, each operating from separate secretariats.

On June 9, 2006, a group led by the party’s founding chairman, Solomon Lar, and a former Deputy National Chairman, Shuaib Oyedokun, had broken away to form a parallel faction after accusing the then Ahmadu Ali-led leadership of sidelining many leading founding members.

The group then proceeded to open a new secretariat: a one-storey building of four flats lavishly decorated with flags of the party located in the Jabi District of Abuja.

The development terribly rattled then President Olusegun Obasanjo who promptly deployed security agents to forcefully seal the parallel secretariat.

By the following day, the Nigerian Police had closed the new secretariat and stationed 20 of its men at the complex to prevent members of the Lar group from gaining entry.

The then Commissioner, Federal Capital Territory’s Police Command, Lawrence Alobi, explained at the time that his men were asked to seal the secretariat to forestall an outbreak of violence.

The development terribly irked the Lar group and sparked off a war of words between the two camps.

The Lar group asked the then Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, to withdraw his men from its secretariat, threatening that it would forcefully chase the Ali-led group away from the Wadata Plaza national secretariat of the party if the police failed to allow it to operate from the Mabushi secretariat.

egift: This type of yeye propaganda doesn't work again. The Kindergarten Presidency should tell us something else.

Atiku, OBJ and even Amaechi is slapping left and right while still on his kneels - and you are here feeding us sawed gist.

Even Abati and Okupe have gone into hiding. Abeg tell us something else, before we follow slap you.

chukwudi44: Okay go ahead and open a new headquarters let us see

egift:
They are walking out on him, you are here "upping the game"

chukel: Chukwudi is a big daft. All diz rants, r dy to portray ur principal in a good light or to further discredit him? Like many have said, Gej's major issue lies wit illiterates like u hovering around denting his name in d name of ass-licking. Wat goes around cums around. He allowed jang's faction of NGF run a separate secretarite. Nw he is jittery over d new faction of pdp running a separate secretariate. Sincere nigerian, do u remember ur topic about amaechi bringing home ant infested woods? I tink u shud change it to Gej.

payless: You do not want your name to be Jonthan at this time. Jonathan is taking a beating. The only way out is to reconcile with Amaechi. Amaechi is the only person that can stop the rot at this time.

chukwudi44:

Mumu can't you read? Are my the one who wrote this news report?

chukwudi44:

This crisis has got nothing to do with amaechi.It is simply because they North wants to come back to power.

egift:

Believe me Chukwudi 4-40. Governor Amaechi is the only one capable of helping Jonathan as things stand now. Here is why:
1. Jonathan's unnecessary aggression towards Gov. Amaechi is one of the reasons the New PDP is putting forward to maintain a good PR.
2. Reconciling with Amaechi is a practical example that he will not be hostile to other Governors (a step towards a peaceful unification).
3. Governor Amaechi is an insider and also maintain a cordial relationship with the opposition - if he put in a for him it will mean a lot.

(There are over 10 good reasons. But I don't advise the kindergarten Presidency). When Atiku is done with him, memory of 2015 will be a thing of the past.

God bless Nigeria.

chukwudi44:

Bros this crisis is ethnic in origin.Whether he reconciles with Amaechi or not ,the crisis will continue.You think it is a co-incvidence that 95% of the Governors,senators and rep members involved in these are from the north?

Atiku can do nada.I think GEj has given up on negotiations and is now wants to play dirty,let's see who gets hurt.

payless: You do not want your name to be Jonthan at this time. Jonathan is taking a beating. The only way out is to reconcile with Amaechi. Amaechi is the only person that can stop the rot at this time.

egift:
They are walking out on him, you are here "upping the game"

egift: This type of yeye propaganda doesn't work again. The Kindergarten Presidency should tell us something else.

Atiku, OBJ and even Amaechi is slapping him left and right while he is still on his kneels - and you are here feeding us sawed gist.

Even Abati and Okupe have gone into hiding. Abeg tell us something else, before we follow slap you.