SAN FRANCISCO, September 06, (THEWILL) – Reconciliation efforts to resolve the festering crisis in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continued on Friday as former President Olusegun Obasanjo led other four elders of the party to a meeting with the two factions at different locations within the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. They had to shuttle between the two locations for the meetings which lasted about five hours.
Obasanjo was joined at the meetings by other party elders such as former military President Ibrahim Babangida, PDP Board of Trustees chairman, Chief Tony Anenih, and two former PDP National Chairman, Senators Barnabas Gemade, and Ahmadu Alli.
The pioneer chairman of the party, Chief Solomon Lar and Chief Alex Ekwueme, who were also expected to join other party elders at the meeting could not make it as they were said to have traveled out of the country.
While the elders met the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP made up of Tukur, who was accompanied by Governors Henry Seriake-Dickson, Godswill Akpabio and Jonah Jang of Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Plateau States respectively, at the Benue Hall of the hotel, the meeting with the Baraje group held at the Kaduna Hall.
Baraje however was accompanied by Governors Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Magatargada Aliu Wamakko of Sokoto, Rotimi Amaechi of River State. Others included Sam Sam Jaja, and Senators Danjuma Goje and Abdullahi Adamu.
Speaking to newsmen after the parley, Obasanjo said: “Gentlemen of the press, I thank you for exercising patience. Let me point out, you have seen five of us as select elders of the party. We have taken it upon ourselves to prevent the worst from happening to our dear party. Two of our members are abroad and could not join us.
“They are Solomon Lar and Alex Ekwueme and we are carrying them along in whatever reports we are making. But suffice it to say that family dispute within the PDP, which we want to stem the tide of going to the brink. And I want to say that we have met with the two sides of the family, we have listened to them and of course we are going to put our heads together and go on from there.”
But immediately after the meeting, the factional chairman of the party, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, accompanied by Governor Sule Lamido, were said to have moved to the secretariat of the new PDP located at Plot No 3206 A; No. 4 Oyi River Crescent, Maitama District, which was later discovered to be the former office of the National Democratic Party (NDP).
Construction was still going on at the property as labourers were seen working on the road leading to the secretariat. The gate of the building was painted in the red, white and green colours of the PDP and a partially covered signpost on the building revealed an insignia similar to that of the PDP.
BY EMMA UCHE, ABUJA.
