Fatshimetrie
The recent meeting of governors elected under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) marked a watershed in the current leadership crisis in the party. Indeed, the governors took an unequivocal decision to rescind the suspensions and counter-suspensions issued by rival factions of the party’s National Working Committee last week. They asked the feuding interim chairmen to return to the ante until a permanent solution to the dispute is found.
The Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, also the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, announced the resolution at the end of a two-day meeting yesterday.
The tension erupted after the National Working Committee led by Ambassador Umar Damagum suspended the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN, over allegations of abuse of office and disobedience.
In response, Ologunagba and Ajibade announced the suspension of Damagum and the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, for activities against the party and their role in the political crisis in Rivers State between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike.
The crisis escalated when Ologunagba’s group announced the replacement of Damagum with the party’s National Treasurer, Yayari Mohammed.
Temporary truce
However, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Bala Mohammed, told journalists in Abuja that the decision to call a truce was taken after consultation with representatives of the National Working Committee, the party’s National Assembly Caucus and the Board of Trustees.
He said: “We wish to inform on behalf of the PDP Governors’ Forum, the Chairman of the Senate Caucus and the representative of the Board of Trustees. We had a family meeting and we wish to reiterate that there is no faction in the PDP. All the suspensions you have heard about have been resolved by the Governors, the National Working Committee, the National Assembly Caucus and the Board of Trustees. There is no faction; everything is back to the way it was under the interim leadership of Damagum, pending the governors and other organs of the party to sit down and resolve all the issues.”
Asked whether or not the October 24 date for the National Executive Council meeting, NE Rivers State between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike, would be maintained.