The Kawu Baraje and Bamanga Tukur factions of the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP were last night poised
for a long standoff, following apparent efforts by the
Presidency to fight off proposals being articulated by
the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo-led elders' committee. The elders committee which met at the weekend
following meetings with the two factions, it was
learnt, had made some proposals towards resolution
of the crisis in the party. Among the recommendations
were dissolution of the executives of the Tukur and
Baraje-led factions of the party and the scheduling of a fresh convention for the election of a fresh and united
executive. Under the arrangement it was learnt the office of
National Chairman will be conceded to President
Goodluck Jonathan; Deputy National Chairman
conceded to either the Chairman, Board of Trustees,
BoT, Chief Tony Anenih, or Governor Godswill Akpabio,
Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum. Both Anenih and Akpabio are from the South-South where the
office of Deputy National Chairman is zoned to.
:::::::Obasanjo favours Ladoja as National Secretary.
The office of National Secretary and other offices
zoned to the South-West it was learnt, would be
conceded to President Obasanjo who, it was learnt,
was already set to shove his new-found friend,
Senator Rasheed Ladoja for the prime position.
::::::Proposal for Amaechi's return
Under the proposals, the Adamawa and Rivers State
executives of the party that were put at abeyance on
account of the lingering crises in the party will be
restored just as Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers
State who was suspended would be reinstated upon
expiration of the 30-day period as provided by the constitution.
Meanwhile, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief
Olisa Metuh has fended off insinuations of a role by the
opposition All Progressives Congress, APC in the crisis
in the party. Metuh, in a session with newsmen in
Lagos, said the APC is too insignificant and minuscule
to be a factor in what he described as an intra-party dispute. He also put in a robust defence of Tukur's
leadership of the party, describing the National
Chairman as the kind of elixir needed to manage the
PDP at this time. The Obasanjo panel included Anenih and former
military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. The report is yet to be presented to President
Jonathan who is the leader of the party. In proposing a fresh convention, sources disclosed
that the Obasanjo panel was not unmindful of the
financial implications of holding a new convention but
as it was learnt, panellists were said to have affirmed
that "money should not be a hindrance to doing the
right thing."
::::::Jonathan 2015
The panel report did not touch on the sensitive matter
of President Jonathan contesting another term in
office. Vanguard learnt that the panel decided not to
touch the issue because of both parties' strong
positions on it. However, there were indications that President
Jonathan may not acquiesce to the proposals as
raised by the elders. Presidency sources disclosed that dissolving the Tukur
executive and going with most of the other
recommendations would mean the Presidency losing
its present advantages. In an apparent effort to bolster its forces in the
ensuing battle, it was learnt that three ad-hoc
committees were constituted by the President before
he travelled to Kenya last week to articulate possible
solutions to the crisis. The committees it was learnt include Legal, Political
and Contact. The committees are now working on
ways of quenching the crisis in the party and to
contain the Baraje forces. Presidency sources
disclosed that the committees are to propose their
recommendations to the President tomorrow. The President, it was learnt, was inclined towards a
holistic solution of the crisis to restore order in the
party without condoning indiscipline. In that direction, the President it was understood, may
not give in to the demands of some of the governors
that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC be pulled out from investigating some states.
Some of the seven governors aligned to the Baraje
faction of the party were alleged to have bitterly complained of being harassed by the EFCC purely on
political grounds.

Developing story.



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we don hear ooo na our president will decide whether 2 implement the proposal or not.