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Chief Anenih to President Jonathan state your 2015 ambition now

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Anenih

AnenihPresident Goodluck Jonathan is to decide his political future at the end of this month – if he accepts a piece of advice from a party chieftain.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih, on Sunday night told Jonathan to make his intention towards the 2015 presidential election known to Nigerians at the end of this month or “as we enter October”.

Anenih spoke during the PDP post convention dinner at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja. He said that taking such a decision was necessary towards giving the party a proper direction.

The dinner, which was earlier scheduled to hold immediately after the special convention, was postponed due to the splitting of the party. Seven governors – Sule Lamido (Jigawa),

Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Abdulafatah Ahmed (Kwara), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) – walked out of the venue with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to form a parallel executive for the “new PDP”.

Before the new group named its executive, including National Chairman Kawu Baraje, National Secretary Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Deputy National Chairman Dr. Sam Jaja, the aggrieved governors had demanded Chairman Bamanga Tukur’s sack. They complained of lack of internal democracy in the party.

The dinner party on Sunday night was attended by those loyal to the Tukur-led PDP faction. None of the aggrieved governors attended.

Some of the elders mediating in the crisis rocking the party, such as former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Military President Ibrahim Babangida were absent at the Villa dinner.

Anenih said: “I will appeal to our leader, the President of this country, that at the end of September or as we enter October, we should not tell anybody that the time is not right. I think the time is right. It is good that we tell our people where we are going to; what our journey will be like.”

Referring to the on-going reconciliatory efforts in the party, he said: “We must be seen as a team and not as a group”.

He acknowledged that there was a crisis in the party, but, according to him, all the disputes will be settled. “We will not fire any shot but we will win the war,” Anenih said, adding: “We will not recognise opposition within PDP. We will work together as a team so that by 2015 we will come here again to shake hands. We stand for unity and discipline. Nobody will be spared if he behaves out of indiscipline. We will do everything to bring everybody together.”

President Jonathan has been telling his aides that his focus is working to justify his mandate, adding that 2015 is still far and he would not like to be distracted.

The popular thinking is that the party’s crises are all about who gets the ticket to run in 2015.

Jonathan is said to have signed an agreement to spend one term in office. His aides deny such an agreement was signed.

Stressing that the PDP is intact, President Jonathan told the gathering that what was going on in the party was a minor disagreement that would be resolved.

He said: “There is no human institution that you don’t have disagreements. What happened on that Saturday was a minor disagreement. In every society, there must be differences. There is no other party that can replace the PDP. It is only in the PDP they can grow.

“For those who have issues, we thank the elders and governors who have been meeting and listening to them, we are committed to resolving our differences.”

“We will resolve all our differences. PDP is intact and will remain intact. We will do everything to make sure the party grows stronger. Without PDP, there is no democracy in Nigeria. We will make sure that the party remains one, those who left will rejoin us.

“It is only PDP that has not changed name or form. We will do our best to keep PDP one, to keep Nigeria one”.

According to him, the dinner was part of his promise to create more opportunities for periodic meetings and interaction among party members at all levels.

Assuring the newly elected leaders of the party of his support, he urged them to work as a team.

On the support for the party, he said: “Even ordinary Nigerians believe PDP must remain one because it is the only party that can continue to give leadership.Even those that are aggrieved call themselves the ‘new PDP’, meaning they know without PDP they are nothing.”

Vice President Namadi Sambo also said that the PDP had always provided leadership for others to emulate. He highlighted the government’s achievements in sectors of the economy.

Akwa Ibom State Governor and Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum Godswill Akpabio said: “We want Nigerians to challenge us on performance, not on the pages of newspapers. We want to assure you there is no faction in the PDP. What we are seeing today is just a storm in a tea cup.

“If you want to step out of the party you are free, this is the only party you can leave and return and become a national party chairman. The people are not with those who do not respect constituted authority. Those who do not respect authority will not get authority.”

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, speaking on behalf of Senate President David Mark, noted that the Senate is united and will continue to protect the interest of Nigerians and support President Jonathan’s administration.

House Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, who was represented by Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, said the PDP members in the National Assembly will continue to support the party through legislative means.

Tukur harped on the importance of party loyalty and discipline.

“We must learn to accept change in order to build on democratic principles. Our party cannot be relevant to the people only once in four years, when votes are needed, but at every time in order to improve their lot.

“Dialogue and reconciliation should be encouraged but our politics should be based on issues rather than personalities,” Tukur said.

Former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, noted that the party was going through a difficult time as he stressed that this period of claims and counter claims is no time to show weakness.

At the dinner, state party chairmen also declared their loyalty for President Jonathan, the national chairman and their governors towards the 2015 elections.

Women thanked the President for empowering them and for increasing their number in appointive and elective offices.

The group urged him to stay back to continue for another four years to impact more on Nigerian women.

Former Adamawa State Governor Boni Haruna, who was surrounded by Dipreye Alamieyesigha (Bayelsa), Jim Nwobodo (old Anambra State), Ikedi Ohakim (Imo), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Abdulkadri Kure (Niger), pledged the loyalty of former governors to the party under Jonathan.

In his welcome remark, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak appealed to members on the “wrong path” to return to the “right path”.

At the dinner were Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Ramalan Yero (Kaduna),Theodore Orji (Abia), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Liyel Imoke (Cross Rivers) and Serieke Dickson (Bayelsa).

Also present are Idris Wada (Kogi), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Saidu Dakingari (Kebbi).

The Acting governor of Taraba State and deputy governors of Benue and Ebonyi states also attended the dinner.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim, former Senate President Senator Ken Nnamani, Senator Barnabas Gemade and Ahmadu Ali were also at the dinner.

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