AFTER weeks of hot debates, the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new dimension as the Baraje faction has diplomatically scuttled the peace meeting scheduled for October 7th .
The October 7th date was agreed upon at the last meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the G7 governors. One of the G7 governors, Babangida Aliyu of Niger State had in a brief communique announced that the peace meeting will resume in October.
The New PDP in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Chief Eze Chukwemeka Eze on Wednesday, however, said it just realized that the October date coincided with this year’s annual holy pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, a position officials of mainstream PDP described as “deceitful”.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, however, said the party will survive whatever the outcome of the October meeting is, admitting that the date will determine the fate of the party.
Metuh, who was addressing newsmen after the meeting of the party’s National Working Committee said the party’s leadership is ready for peace and that the aggrieved party members still have open doors to access in pursuit of peace in the party.
The New PDP in its statement said it has sent emissaries to President Jonathan following “a decision taken last night during the caucus meeting of the New PDP held at the Adamawa State Government Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.
The faction said it discovered that “the date of the proposed peace meeting clashes with this year’s Hajj, in which several of our key members are billed to participate. Our National Chairman, Alhaji Baraje, and most of our other key members, including most of the G7 governors and the five other governors are billed to perform the Hajj, which is already in operation.
“Alhaji Baraje, the progressive governors and other stakeholders performing the Hajj have been mandated to use the opportunity offered by the Holy Pilgrimage to pray for the restoration of peace and unity in our great party, PDP, as well as in our dear country, Nigeria,” the statement said.
While assuring its supporters and Nigerians in general of its commitment towards restoring peace in the party, the faction said there can be no progress in an atmosphere of crisis and its commitment to peace should not be in doubt.
The faction also declared that the meeting of its working committee billed for October 5th is called off until its national chairman comes back form Hajj, promising that “we as leaders are committed to ensuring that our current struggle does not end as an exercise in futility but would achieve the set objectives of restoring our party to the path of honour and greatness.
PDP is bigger than any group —Metuh
Meanwhile, Chief Metuh has said the push for reconciliation is a continuation of the original agenda of the party’s chairman to ensure total reconciliation at all levels, adding that this party will survive all interests.
“We have already engaged in a reconciliation agenda as espoused by the National Chairman, when he came to the office and we have been touring the country and doing it. We discussed the efforts and how we can continue. We mentioned our aggrieved brothers, we have left it for the meeting of October 7 to know how best to handle it.
“The National Working Committee (NWC) will meet and we hope that we will be able to achieve full reconciliation with our aggrieved brothers, but this party is bigger than any person or any group and PDP will survive all interest. This is a national party, the custodians of the party administration are ready and capable to handle all matters that affect this party after the peace meeting,” the publicity secretary said.
Metuh said the working committee also commended the calibre of Nigerians appointed into the national dialogue panel, describing them as men of integrity who will deliver on the assigned tasks
