The public exhibition of turbulent uncertainty by the major
stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] on the weekend of
August 31, 2013 appears on a new turn as the President of the federal
republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebelemi Jonathan was told in
confidence by the former president of the federal republic of Nigeria,
General Olusegun Obasanjo that the troubles befalling the PDP and the
Jonathan administration concerns his [Jonathan] insistence on contesting
for the 2015 presidential elections under the PDP. According to a
source prevalent with the happenings between the two leaders, Obasanjo
told Jonathan categorically to “forget about 2015”. The statement was
reportedly made on Sunday following the special PDP convention.
Particularly, information available to 247ureports.com revealed that
the move to abandon the ‘old PDP’ began four months ago [in late April
2013] following an informal meeting where a few of the PDP governors and
other major stakeholders impressed on the President on their intentions
towards his 2015 presidential agenda, and the manner with which he has
decided to go about it. The group was said to have told the president
that they were not particularly pleased with the way he is going about
his 2015 aspirations.
The group was said to have reminded the President of the agreement he
reached with the group in the presence of many northern leaders –
including Emirs and other traditional leaders in the north. According to
one of the group members who spoke to 247ureports.com, General Obasanjo
was the one who took Jonathan around the many quarters of the north to
present him as a President that would only serve ‘one-tenure’. “He was not forced. He agreed voluntarily in the presence of many northern governors, Emirs, legislators and others”, said the group member who happens to be a seating governor of a northern state.
The source continued to add that no one is trying to deny President
Jonathan’s constitutional rights of contesting for a second term in
office but the fact remains that “we had an agreement to support him in return for his serving one term”.
Cursory inquiry revealed that originally the group was not particular
about the 2015 ambition of the President – as it later became. It was
understood that the group had ‘wished’ for the President to have
approached them regarding his change of mind to contest in 2015.
Instead, according to a member of the group, the President recruited his
‘Ijaw henchmen’ to begin public utterances threatening to wreak havoc
should the President not be allowed to contest the 2015 elections. The
source pointed to a year after the Jonathan’s 2011 elections – when the
likes of Edwin Clark and Asaro Dokubo – took to the airwaves to threaten
violence should Jonathan not contest in 2015.
Following the threats by the President’s kinsmen, the source noted
that the President then switched over to the internal operations of the
PDP with an ‘iron fist’ to deal with those he perceived were not in
support of his bid for 2015. “It became dictatorial”. He appointed executives to the PDP executive cabinet arbitrary without due consultations or necessary elections. “If he had approached us to discuss it might have not resulted to this embarrassment on his person”.
It was gathered that when the President began his outward launch to
dislodge persons/stakeholders he believe were possible obstacles to his
2015 ambition – the former president, Obasanjo was said to impress on
him the agreement reached with many of the northern leaders who were
concerned over the leadership rotation. The President was said to be
unresponsive to Obasanjo. With this, Obasanjo’s allegiance switched.
A usually reliable source told our correspondent that Obasanjo was the pilot of the walk out by the rebel governors. “He did to prove a point to Jonathan; he does not want to destroy PDP”.
Obasanjo had advised against abandoning the party for another party.
According to Obasanjo, it was better to retain the option to joining
another party until it becomes impossible to remain in the PDP.
Meanwhile many of the governor and members of the national assembly
who had earlier declared for the new PDP – in talking to 247ureports.com
– indicated that they are out for the Jonathan led PDP “to do their worst”. According to one of the architects of the group, they have lost control of the party. “Pretty soon they will see what will happen at the lower and upper chamber of the national assembly”, bragged the source who continued to add that “Jonathan has been cornered for good”.
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President Jonathan was taken unawares by what appears to resemble a
security concern on the August 31, 2013 walk out by the group of
governors at the grounds of the PDP special convention. This was as
247ureports.com was reliably informed of the anger that overtook
President Jonathan as he realized that he was the only one unaware of
the alternate arrangement made by the ‘rebel governors’ at Musa Yar’Adua
Center for a parallel meeting – against the Jonathan/Tukur led PDP. As
gathered, the President was livid that he did not have prior knowledge
of the meeting – even though it appeared his security and intelligence
men may have had prior knowledge. Our source points to a grander
implication of the security and/or intelligence blackout over the
President – as having a possible dire affect in the future. He points to
the safety of the president being possibly compromised.-SOURCE UKPAKAREPORTS
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