Former Nigeria president, Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday met with the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party for several hours at the party’s secretariat in Abuja.
Although the agenda of the meeting was not made public, it was gathered that it was connected with the crisis in some chapters of the party in the South West geo-political zone, particularly Oyo State, and the forthcoming primaries for elective positions.
Neither Mr. Obasanjo nor the party chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo, spoke with journalists after the meeting ended at about 2.45 pm. The former president, when prodded to speak after the meeting, launched into his usual jokes and gesticulations and merely prayed that laughter should not depart from his mouth and those of the journalists: “May God never take laughter from my mouth and may God never take laughter from your mouth too!”
Another meeting
However, after the former president’s exit, the PDP national leadership held a separate meeting with the governors of Oyo, Adebayo Alao-Akala, Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, and prominent indigenes of the two states.
The meetings were reportedly convened to resolve the crises in the party chapters in both states.
Those at the meeting between the party leadership and the Oyo State indigenes, apart from Mr. Alao-Akala, include the deputy governor, Taofeek Arapaja, and the secretary to the state government, Olayiwola Olapade.
The meeting was also attended by two former governors, Kolapo Ishola and Omololu Olunloyo; former military governor of Lagos State, Raji Rasaki; former attorney general of the federation, Richard Akinjide; former secretary to Oyo State government, Dejo Raimi; Kamorudeen Adedibu, a senator; and other members of the National Assembly from the state.
The meeting was reportedly in connection with last week’s bloody congress in the state, which led to the killing of a factional leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Lateef Salako aka Eleweomo, and two others.
Mr. Salako was reportedly killed by some unknown persons allegedly loyal to the Senate Leader, Mr. Folarin, who has since been charged to court and remanded in prison custody till January 14.
Mr. Nwodo and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party also met with Mr. Chime; the deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu; former governor of the old Anambra State, Jim Nwobodo; former Senate president, Ken Nnamani; former information minister and younger brother of the national chairman, John Nnia Nwodo; and the presidential adviser on energy, Barth Nnaji.
No official reason was given for the meeting, which lasted for about two hours, though it was gathered that it was a follow up on the earlier ones held to share positions in the executive committee of the party in Enugu State.
President Goodluck Jonathan and his deputy, Namadi Sambo, had last week met with Messrs Nwodo and Chime and other important members of the party in the state during which it was resolved that the two groups loyal to the governor and the national chairman, who is an indigene of the state, should produce members of the executive committee.
A source said yesterday that it was finally agreed that the governor should produce the chairman of the party in the state, while the group loyal to Mr. Nwodo should produce the deputy chairman and secretary.
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