The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party worsened on Tuesday as its National Chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, was shouted down by the governors at the party’s National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja.



Trouble started when Nwodo ordered the Enugu State Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Vita Abba, out of the NEC meeting. Nwodo was said to have pointed out that Abba was not the authentic chairman of the PDP in the state.



A NEC member told one of our correspondents in Abuja that the governor of the state, Mr. Sullivan Chime, rose in the defence of Abba.



According to a NEC source, Chime said that as the governor of the state, he was in a better position to know the state PDP chairman.



It was also learnt that Nwodo insisted that since Abba’s name had been deleted at the party’s national headquarters, he had no reason to be present at the meeting.



Our source said that it was at this point that other governors in attendance rose in defence of Chime by asking Abba to ignore Nwodo.



He added that when it became apparent that the NEC meeting would be chaotic, the PDP National Legal Adviser, Chief Olusola Oke, moved a motion for its postponement.



The meeting, which had President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo in attendance, was subsequently shifted to Thursday.



The PDP, in a three-paragraph statement read by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Rufai Alkali, said, “in view of the critical importance of issues to be deliberated upon, the meeting was adjourned till Thursday, December 16, 2010 to give room for further consultations.



“This decision became necessary because of the need to include all stakeholders in the process of arriving at mutually - acceptable decisions.”



Rufai refused to take questions from reporters, saying he needed to be at the Presidential Villa for a meeting called by Jonathan to discuss issues affecting the party.



The meeting was also attended by governors, ex- chairmen of the party, National Working Committee members of the PDP and former and president chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees.



Earlier, the party had announced that members of the NWC would want to meet the chairmen of the party in Enugu, Oyo, Ogun and Anambra states.



There had been reports that the crisis between Nwodo and Chime had to do with who would be the PDP governorship candidate in Enugu State in 2011.



Before the NEC members met behind closed doors, Jonathan had appealed to members to always seek reconciliation and peace in the interest of the PDP.



“This period is quite critical, not for the PDP alone but also the whole country. But the PDP is on top because anything about the PDP is paramount,” the President said.



He reminded the members to be aware that while “any ripple in the PDP would appear like a wind,” in other parties, it (wind) might not even be noticed.”



Jonathan added, “Let me use this opportunity to plead with those of you, especially those that are aspirants at one level or the other, to play the politics that would show that we are members of the same political party. And at the end of our primary election, we must come together to protect the interest of the PDP and no matter the challenges we have, we must realise that other parties want to weaken us.



“Some of the things you read in the newspapers about the PDP members wanting to defect; some of these stories may be true, but some of them are just to weaken us and make us feel that everybody is leaving the PDP.



“We shouldn’t take some of the stories too seriously. But at the same time, we must be mindful of how we conduct ourselves in this process of primary election.”



The President added that since the party controls the National Assembly and also had the majority members among the governors, it should take their views (lawmakers and governors) on any issue seriously.



He said, “We control the Nigerian Governors Forum, because we have more members in the forum. Anything that the PDP governors decide, that’s what other governors take. Of course, we have no choice, because democracy is all about number and by God’s grace, we are in the majority,” he added.



Jonathan also called on the members of the party to cultivate the habit of learning to resolve their grievances internally without resorting to the courts.



He said, “I am calling on all of us to unite and resolve our differences, if there are any, and let us play the politics in a way that we know that we belong to the same party.



“Just like all members of the same body, there is no way you can chop off one of your hands or nose and remain normal. There is no way we can remove any of these organs of the party and the party will remain the same. If we isolate the PDP NWC, there would be no party for us to come to.”



At the Presidential Villa meeting, Jonathan and the governors resolved that the party had the exclusive right to determine the membership of its NEC.



Another source at the meeting which lasted about four hours, said, “The meeting agreed that the party should determine who becomes members of its NEC. All other knotty issues have also been resolved”.



It was gathered that the decisions would be tabled at the reconvened NEC meeting on Thursday.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2010121515331131

I no fit laugh

The pdp will surely destroy itself from inside

Big fools.

I like this game.

this is what happens when you have a group of self-centered, myopic, egocentric people coming together. RUBBISH!!!!

This na game over for PDP.

I command PDP to be scattered by FIRE!!!!!!.Bunch of selfish and corrupt politicians that have vowed never to leave office until they dry our economy.

bunch of a.s.5 holes. . . Phee dee phed!. . .failure!

It's no big deal. Problems like this abound world over, they only couldn't manage theirs.

1st epi, WATCH OUT FOR 2ND EPISODE,CHAIRMAN S REINFORCEMENT,GOVERNORS CHANGE OF STRATEGY!!! DANCING IN THE RAIN, E GO BEAT DEM

Ha tawa ayara. Oshi ikwere.

vorosmartm:

The pdp will surely destroy itself from inside

Dreamers all of you!

vorosmartm:

The pdp will surely destroy itself from inside

If they don't destroy the democracy itself

PDP has murdered sleep,so what is happening should have been expected;and like they say,'you aint seen nothing yet'!

This is a perfect script for nollywood movie

Mtchewww. Waste of bandwidth.

sorry for popping in, dora akunyili don resign from office (breaking news)

sizzlers:

sorry for popping in, dora akunyili don resign from office (breaking news)

After reading a lot of cheap cheap evening newspaper, you have been influenced by their type of journalism. Youwant to spread false rumour. Dora is still firm in the government, Mr rumour peddler.

A sinking ship, hope it takes all the deadwood with it. enough of PDP

mekay:

This is a perfect script for nollywood movie

And you will be the star actor. Who will direct? My candidate will be the production accountant.

PDP- The house that "Preys" 2getha stays 2getha
Shoddy reporting tho!!

Is that an implosion I see for PDP?

The PDP will become weaker after the 2011 elections, what we should do is encourage them to become weaker by massively supporting Goodluck Jonathans ambition.

He would go into the contest win fair and square lose some of his govs and senators and in the process a divided PDP which in 2011 will be totally sacked by the people.

I am happy about all the development because its just like a child trying to challenge his father, he can only shout and rant but his father will always have his way no matter how loud the dissidents within the party shout they would lose out.

If anyone is interested in unseating the PDP this is the time to plan and prepare ahead, plant your loyalists around the state govt houses, align with every other visible opposition and concede to them their states of influence.

After the 2011 elections Nigeria will come out stronger while the PDP will come out weaker win-win situation for Nigerians

IBOS HAVE THIS CANNY HABIT OF BEING HIGHHANDED WHENEVER THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN POSITION OF AUTHORITY- NWODO IS DEFINITELY NOT AN EXCEPTION.

It would seem to me that PDP is destroying itself from the inside. This should be welcomed news for many. We can only wait and see.

marvix:

The PDP will become weaker after the 2011 elections, what we should do is encourage them to become weaker by massively supporting Goodluck Jonathans ambition.

He would go into the contest win fair and square lose some of his govs and senators and in the process a divided PDP which in 2011 will be totally sacked by the people.

I am happy about all the development because its just like a child trying to challenge his father, he can only shout and rant but his father will always have his way no matter how loud the dissidents within the party shout they would lose out.

If anyone is interested in unseating the PDP this is the time to plan and prepare ahead, plant your loyalists around the state govt houses, align with every other visible opposition and concede to them their states of influence.

After the 2011 elections Nigeria will come out stronger while the PDP will come out weaker win-win situation for Nigerians

Good analysis. Problem is they may truncate Nigeria's democracy in the process.

Wasted 3 min opening the thread [Village dial up network]

Another 3 mins to pretend "shock".

Another 1 min to "mtcheww" and close thread.

i dont like pdp but i love jonathan

IBOS HAVE THIS CANNY HABIT OF BEING HIGHHANDED WHENEVER THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN POSITION OF AUTHORITY- NWODO IS DEFINITELY NOT AN EXCEPTION.
let the governors show nwaodo that they are governors of the federa republic of nig and goodlock should make comment on this mater before nwaodo get pdp distroyed.

Let the rulers rule with human concience, and our land 'll be better