This indication was given in Abuja on Friday by Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, after a meeting of the PDP National Convention Planning Committee. Read full story as you continue…..
PDP governors at loggerheads with the party over its suspension of the Rivers State governor are Aliyu Babangida (Niger); Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa);and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara).
They had been at the forefront of moves for the removal of the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, over his alleged interference in the running of the Adamawa State chapter.
They also fell out with the party after it suspended Amaechi on May 27 for seeking a second term as chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, despite warnings from the PDP leadership.
The party’s National Working Committee explained that Amaechi was suspended for his “refusal to obey the lawful directive of the Rivers Executive Committee (of PDP) to rescind his decision dissolving the elected Executive Council of Obiokpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.”
Amaechi has, however, gone to court to challenge the suspension and to stop the disciplinary committee set up by the party to investigate him from sitting.
He has also filed a separate suit seeking to stop members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from impeaching him.
Already, he has secured a court order stopping the committee from proceeding with the investigation.
Wamakko was suspended on June 5 for allegedly ignoring party directives. He was, however, recalled on Monday.
However, his suspension was believed to have been orchestrated by some party leaders over his support for Amaechi at the NGF election on June 24.
Akpabio told journalists that there were possibilities of returning Amaechi to the party.
He said the party and the governors were already exploring the possibilities of settling the cases instituted by Amaechi over his suspension.
Akpabio said the PDP was not ready to lose any of its governors to opposition political parties.
He said both the leadership of the PDP Governors Forum and the party were committed to return peace to the troubled party.
But Akpabio said the party was already looking into the matter and was ready to give the governor a reprieve just as the governors intervened in the lifting of the NWC’s suspension of Wamakko.
He said, “The reconciliation already going on among the governors led to the return of my brother, Governor Wamakko, to the party.
“The reconciliation is already ongoing. You saw almost all the governors at the PDP National Executive Committee meeting.
“Those who were not there at the meeting either travelled or were doing something for the country. You know I said that the matter involving my brother in Rivers State is subjudice.
“We are exploring all means for out-of-court to return him to the party. We are not ready to lose any of our members to the opposition.”
He said the governorship elections coming up in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States would be a test case for the party.
Interestingly, the presidency engineered the formation of the PDP Governors Forum headed by Akpabio to counter Amaechi.
Although Amaechi defeated Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, at the NGF election, President Goodluck Jonathan endorsed the latter and met with the group, which included Akpabio.
However, none of the affected governors was willing to react to Akpabio’s comments.
They rather said they would “wait and see” how things unfold.
When contacted, the Director of Press to the Niger State governor, Danladi Ndayabo, said, “No comments.”
His counterpart in Sokoto State, Sani Umar, also said,“There is no comment.”
Calls to the mobile telephone number of the Director of Press to the Kano State governor, Mallam Baba Dantiye indicated that the number was unavailable.
The Director of Press and Public Relations to the Adamawa State governor, Ahmad Sajo, could not be reached for comments as his mobile telephone did not connect.
But the Rivers State PDP Chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah, said the reconciliation would only work if Amaechi apologises to the party.
Obuah, who described the reconciliatory move by the party at the national level as a welcome development, maintained that the governor must ask for forgiveness from the state chapter for his utterances before his recall.
“If the PDP at the national level reconciles with him (Amaechi), he still needs to apologise to the state PDP for his utterances in the past. The truth is that nobody hates Amaechi, but he must change his ways and apologise to the party,” Obuah said.
They had been at the forefront of moves for the removal of the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, over his alleged interference in the running of the Adamawa State chapter.
They also fell out with the party after it suspended Amaechi on May 27 for seeking a second term as chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, despite warnings from the PDP leadership.
The party’s National Working Committee explained that Amaechi was suspended for his “refusal to obey the lawful directive of the Rivers Executive Committee (of PDP) to rescind his decision dissolving the elected Executive Council of Obiokpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.”
Amaechi has, however, gone to court to challenge the suspension and to stop the disciplinary committee set up by the party to investigate him from sitting.
He has also filed a separate suit seeking to stop members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from impeaching him.
Already, he has secured a court order stopping the committee from proceeding with the investigation.
Wamakko was suspended on June 5 for allegedly ignoring party directives. He was, however, recalled on Monday.
However, his suspension was believed to have been orchestrated by some party leaders over his support for Amaechi at the NGF election on June 24.
Akpabio told journalists that there were possibilities of returning Amaechi to the party.
He said the party and the governors were already exploring the possibilities of settling the cases instituted by Amaechi over his suspension.
Akpabio said the PDP was not ready to lose any of its governors to opposition political parties.
He said both the leadership of the PDP Governors Forum and the party were committed to return peace to the troubled party.
But Akpabio said the party was already looking into the matter and was ready to give the governor a reprieve just as the governors intervened in the lifting of the NWC’s suspension of Wamakko.
He said, “The reconciliation already going on among the governors led to the return of my brother, Governor Wamakko, to the party.
“The reconciliation is already ongoing. You saw almost all the governors at the PDP National Executive Committee meeting.
“Those who were not there at the meeting either travelled or were doing something for the country. You know I said that the matter involving my brother in Rivers State is subjudice.
“We are exploring all means for out-of-court to return him to the party. We are not ready to lose any of our members to the opposition.”
He said the governorship elections coming up in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States would be a test case for the party.
Interestingly, the presidency engineered the formation of the PDP Governors Forum headed by Akpabio to counter Amaechi.
Although Amaechi defeated Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, at the NGF election, President Goodluck Jonathan endorsed the latter and met with the group, which included Akpabio.
However, none of the affected governors was willing to react to Akpabio’s comments.
They rather said they would “wait and see” how things unfold.
When contacted, the Director of Press to the Niger State governor, Danladi Ndayabo, said, “No comments.”
His counterpart in Sokoto State, Sani Umar, also said,“There is no comment.”
Calls to the mobile telephone number of the Director of Press to the Kano State governor, Mallam Baba Dantiye indicated that the number was unavailable.
The Director of Press and Public Relations to the Adamawa State governor, Ahmad Sajo, could not be reached for comments as his mobile telephone did not connect.
But the Rivers State PDP Chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah, said the reconciliation would only work if Amaechi apologises to the party.
Obuah, who described the reconciliatory move by the party at the national level as a welcome development, maintained that the governor must ask for forgiveness from the state chapter for his utterances before his recall.
“If the PDP at the national level reconciles with him (Amaechi), he still needs to apologise to the state PDP for his utterances in the past. The truth is that nobody hates Amaechi, but he must change his ways and apologise to the party,” Obuah said.
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