Nigerian aviation authorities in Abuja today briefly grounded a private jet that was supposed to ferry some governors and politicians belonging to the break-away faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to Lagos en route Abeokuta. SaharaReporters learnt that the members of the new PDP were about to fly to Lagos on their way to a meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

A spokesman for the new PDP told SaharaReporters that the temporary grounding of the jet was “part of the Jonathan administration’s desperate war against us.” He added, “We will not be deterred in our struggle to enthrone true democracy within the PDP.”

The source added that this was not the first time the Ministry of Aviation was being used to ground a jet used by opposition figures within the party, citing the withdrawal of the flying privileges of a jet owned by Rivers State government.

When SaharaReporters made inquiries about the reasons for today’s brief grounding, two Nigerian aviation officials gave conflicting responses. The Aviation Ministry’s General Manager, Yakubu Datti, told SaharaReporters over the phone that the ministry was not involved at all in any delay of the flight. He claimed that the problem arose purely from a disagreement between the jet owners and the politicians, insisting that the issue had nothing to do with the aviation authorities.

However, Joe Obi, the spokesperson for embattled Aviation Minister Stella Oduah, offered a different account in an email to SaharaReporters. His email stated that the jet was briefly stopped from taking off in order to ascertain the pilot’s flight plans and to make other routine checks in accordance with aviation practices all over the world. He emphasized that the plane had since been cleared to fly.

Today’s brief grounding came on the heels of yesterday’s disruption of a meeting of the new PDP by a police team led by a plain-clothed Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Asokoro police station. The DPO laid siege on the Kano State Government Lodge in Abuja, the venue of the meeting by five governors who have rejected the PDP faction led by Bamanga Tukur. When the five governors and other participants at the meeting resisted the order to shut down their meeting, the DPO called for police back-up. However, a source at the meeting told SaharaReporters that they tricked the police into believing the meeting had just started when in fact it was ending.

SaharaReporters learnt that the Lagos-bound dissident governors were visiting Mr. Obasanjo to confer with him on a number of political issues. Former President Obasanjo has been estranged from President Goodluck Jonathan, and is believed to be advocating for the election of a president from the northern section of Nigeria in the 2015 presidential election.


Link: http://saharareporters.com/news-page/dissident-pdp-governors’-jet-grounded-abuja-aviation-ministry-says-it-was-routine-check

usual lies.

WTF! really! Can't believe saharareporter will go dis low. I now understand.

This is one of the absurdities that we have come to accept as normal in Nigeria. I see no reason why elected Governors will shuttle across the country's airspace on selfish political campaigns, abandoning their primary responsibility/obligation to the poor masses who elected them. BTW, does anyone have an idea of what the job-description of a Nigerian Governor looks like?

i see

I like the way everything in Nigeria is being politicized,
even when there is a minor delay with fixing the papers, It gets to the media quickly and there will always be spokesperson ready to speak on the matter
Even when they are not aware if the incident happened or not.

i like the phrase "in accordance with aviation practices all over the world."
that word has been used to death in the past weeks

This one na DEMO-CRAZY o.

Chief Commander GEJ. This guy is worse than Abacha.

GEJ is desperate.

.

Well. it isn't a first

bbpreye.:


ok.

must u quote all dat just to say ok ,
@topic, Operation follow me by force by oga at d top. Haba i no dy ds thread

This government has kwashiokor.

Now GEJ s Maning up n U guys r hea tlkin trash... Ndi ara!!! Fresh air 2015

Ur hate 4GEJ make u swallo evrytin hook line and sinker....bt u n ur paymasters cannot bring down a man that has been blessed.FRESH AIR TILL 2019

Na small Major Gen Jonathan use better pass Bashir Assad of Syria.

israel007: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

You missed nursery school

I only wonder how 2015 election will end

Enough illitrates on nairaland who cannot even report what is happening within their domains but always quick to condem saharareporters even when the news is in the public nd other media houses.

Kedu ife ha n'ako..?

jagons!. thank GOD i'm not a NIGERIan .

raytony: Na small Major Gen Jonathan use better pass Bashir Assad of Syria.

Abeg Assad better pass am.

i think GEJ is passing a massage across. "if i'm not elected come 2015, there will be blood shed "

Christianos: This is one of the absurdities that we have come to accept as normal in Nigeria. I see no reason why elected Governors will shuttle across the country's airspace on selfish political campaigns, abandoning their primary responsibility/obligation to the poor masses who elected them. BTW, does anyone have an idea of what the job-description of a Nigerian Governor looks like?

God bless you for this observation. Infact take one bottle of your brand on my head.
In recent months, these governors are having one meeting or the other at different locations. Most nigerians have taken sides with or against them but nobody seems to care about the implications of their frequent out of station trips. The private jets they use, the hotel or guest houses, the ground transport, the security personnels attached to them. I am sure its the tax payer of their respective states that foot the bills. How does their political future affect the ordinary village woman in their states. These governors have left the reason why they were voted (or rigged) into power which is provision of basic infrastructure and leadership for their states and are busy gallavanting the whole country at public expense. Now when was the last time any of them commissioned projects in their states?

In saner climes one caan quickly say that their deputies hold the steering of the states machinery why their principals are busy gallavanting, but here in Nigeria, we all know that the deputies are glorified commissioners and as such can't do anything meaningful without recourse to their 'ogas at the top'. The result of this is that these states have been held hostage and governance put on hold.
Btw I am also very much interested in the job description of a governor too.

nagoma: GEJ is desperate.

U're wrong. GEJ seems weak. Do you think the G7 governors will try this under some presidents in this same Nigeria? I think there is strength in his seeming weakness.

It's just making the whole show messier.

I have a question to ask fellow nairalanders, is it that this governors don't have anything to do in their various states? Are the people in their states satisfied with their governance 2 the extent they can now abandon their sates to discuss npdp n opdp?

president Goodluck Jonathan is the most deplomatic and democratic leader nigeria ever had in recent times. He will be patient enough to allow you mess your self up. When you now kill yourself with your own weapon against him through his so called weakness then his strenght will manifest. No more boko issue, ASUU are on their heel bck to classes, next is nPDP.

This man and peter obi has much resemblance in character...... Am joking

wellmax: Chief Commander GEJ. This guy is worse than Abacha.

I thought he was dumb and clueless.

Ystday I read on this same nairaland that the G7 governors met with OBJ n that Amaechi drove d car himself. 2day I'm reading that their Planes where grounded. All this talk one 2day, talk another 2moro news I tire o. Somethings shouldn't make it to front page. Everyday across Nigerians airports, flights r being delayed, no one hears abt dem. So y make noise abt theirs? Are they better than other Nigerians?