PDP reconciliation may exclude aggrieved governors

The Peace and Reconciliation Committee set up by the Peoples Democratic Party may not talk to the aggrieved governors in the party, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.


The committee, headed by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, said its primary duty was to focus on the states not being governed by the party.

Dickson, reiterated that this was what he said in his acceptance speech when the committee was inaugurated by the National Chairman of the party, Bamanga Tukur, at the party’s headquarters in Abuja on July 25.

The governor’s position was in response to our correspondent’s enquiry on Friday to know whether his committee would also deal with discordant tunes emanating from the camp of the PDP governors, but he said he would not dabble into it.

In a text message forwarded to our correspondent by his media consultant, Mr. Francis Agbo, the governor said his committee was not interested in the crisis among the PDP governors.

The message stated, “Governor Dickson said you should read his acceptance speech. Meaning that his committee is focusing on non-PDP states.”

The two non-PDP states that the committee is currently engaging its members in dialogue are Anambra and Ekitit states, where governorship elections are expected to hold soon.

While the Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed November 16 for Anambra State election, no date has been announced for that of Ekiti State.

In his acceptance speech, Dickson had said, “My understanding of our mandate therefore, is to facilitate the reconciliation of our members and leaders in target states particularly non-PDP states and provide the template that will make our great party organise credible primaries and select candidates for elections.

“At the PDP governors’ level, reconciliation is going on. My take is that these efforts should be supported by all and sundry.”

However, the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Tony Okeke, said the party was handling the matter.

The crisis among the governors has made some of them to stop attending the PDP Governors’ Forum, which is headed by Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State.

At the last meeting of the forum, about 11 governors refused to attend and did not send their deputies.

Governors who were not at the meeting, which was held on July 25 were those of Kano, Jigawa,  Adamawa, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Rivers, Cross River, Ebonyi, Bauchi and Kebbi states.

“That issue is being handled at the highest level,” he said.