Amaechi summons govs' forum meeting Wednesday From Adamu Abuh, Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Karls Tsokar (Abuja) and Isa Abdusalami Ahovi (Jos)

* Pro-Jang governors may attend parley
* Tukur seeks support from new PDP officers
AS an indication that the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
is far from over, Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State on Monday
summoned a meeting of the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) in Abuja for
Wednesday.
Amaechi, like Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang, has been claiming to
be the authentic chairman of the NGF since the group's election of its
leaders on May 23, 2013. Both governors belong to the PDP.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on
Monday urged all new officers of the party to display absolute loyalty
in order to prevent the party from drifting into destruction.
He said the observation by the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) regarding the election of some members of the
party's NWC shows that the party follows rule of law, justice and
fairness.
A notice made available to The Guardian in Abuja on Monday indicates
that the NGF's meeting would hold at the Rivers State Governor's Lodge
where the meeting always held prior to the rift that is tearing the
forum apart.
Amaechi had in the wake of the imbroglio called on all the governors
to come together for the good of the polity and the people who voted
them to leadership positions.
The governor said: "It has become imperative for me to request my
brother and Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State to remain within the
confines of decorum and cease to impersonate me and to stop
paradinghimself as NGF chairman. There is onlyone chairman of the
forum, duly elected by a vote tally of 19:16 on Thursday, May 23,
2013."
The notice of the meeting issued by a Press Officer of the NGF,
Asokoro Secretariat, Chidimma Onyenalim, reads
in part: "There will be a meeting of Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) on
Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Time: 8.00 p.m. prompt. Venue: Rivers State
Governor's Lodge, No. 5 Justice Mohammed Bello Street, Asokoro,
Abuja."
Also, a Kano-based politician, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, has expressed
concern over the rate of lawlessness allegedly orchestrated by the
Presidency in Rivers State, saying if it persists, it is capable of
undermining the country's democracy.
Besides, the Political Adviser to the Plateau State governor, Nde
Alexander Molwus, has described Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso
as "irresponsible and treacherous" if he actually played the
ignominious role he claimed he did to cause crisis in the NGF.
The meeting of the NGF, according to political observers, is summoned
on the insistence of Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State and some
other northern governors who have remained resolute that their choice
ofwho should be their chairman stands against all odds.
The Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso had last week challengedall
that were in doubt as to the resolve of the governors, by further
revealing their game plan on how Jang emerged as the only contestant
to the chairmanship position to challenge the incumbent.
A source disclosed that the meeting would be attended by some
governors from the Jang's faction.Mohammed who was the Minority Leader
of the House of Representatives in the Second Republic enjoined the
PDP to allow the rule of law and constituted authority to reign in
Rivers State.
Referring to a similar situation in the First Republic in the old
Western Region, he warned that the political witch-hunt against
Amaechi would domore harm than good.
In a statement made available to The Guardian at the weekend, the
fiery politician stated: "Those who do not learn from history are
condemned to repeat its mistakes, so wrote George Santayana, the
Spanish American philosopher (1863-1952). Current developments in PDP
and especially in Rivers, bear an uncanny resemblance to the
development in the old western region, which led to the collapse of
the First Republic, withvery serious and bloody consequences. Then and
now, the popularly elected leaders of those parts of the country were
prevented from exercising political power and control."
Molwus' criticism came yesterday just as the Commissioner for
Information and Communication, Mr. Abraham Yiljap, also said that
Kwankwaso's admission that he personally nominated Governor Jang and
asked Governor Suswam of Benue to support his move only because "it
was a game... clearly showed a mind luxuriating in unethical lyrics."
Molwus said it was rather shameful that a man occupying the important
office of a state governor as Kwankwaso would conduct himself in such
a manner that suggested he could not be trusted, and did not havethe
presence of mind to appreciate what it meant for a leader to indulge
in acts of dishonesty capable of affecting the progress and unity of
the country.
Tukur spoke while inaugurating members of the party's National Working
Committee (NWC) who were appointed last Thursday by the National
Executive Committee (NEC) on acting basis pending the election of
substantive officers.
"We will now ask you to continue supporting this great party," he
said. "Our people have confidence in our party and in our leadership.
So, make sure when you get out of here to also continue to spread the
sermon of PDP. This umbrella is big enough to contain everybody in
Nigeria and in the Diaspora.
"INEC noticed that there were defects in the election that was done.
The circumstances, of course, led to the emergence of the present
members of NWC. They are here to ensure that our party does what it
could to follow the rules and regulations according toour
constitution."
Tukur continued: "It is important because our party is democratic and
follows the rule of law anywhere. Our party believes in equity and
justice, it does not believe in imposition or anything that is
illegal. Our party belongs to all of us here - everybody.
"I thank you for being present here to witness another stage of PDP's
way ofrunning its affairs according to the conscience of the
collective mandate. There was no vacuum, all I want to assure here is
that PDP is working, PDP is waxing strong, PDP is one family in terms
of its administration. What we have done is to regulate andregularise
what has been observed by INEC."
He congratulated all former NWC members on their absolute support for
the party, stating: "Those who resigned to make sure we regularise
what was observed as irregular electoral practices are truly loyal
members of this party.
"They have done well. We appreciate them and hope that they would
continue supporting our party to follow the path of trust and justice
so that we will move our country and really fulfill the mandate of the
people ..."
Responding on behalf of the acting officers, a former Deputy Speaker
of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche, who was sworn inas
acting deputy national chairman, said: "I am indeed very pleased to
speak on our behalf and to assure those present here that we have come
to work closely with the chairman and to give him the maximum support
to enable the PDP retain its position as the largest party in Africa."
The new officers inaugurated included Nwuche (acting deputy national
chairman), Dr. Remi Akintoye (acting secretary), Emma Agboti (deputy
national secretary) and Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar (acting national
organising secretary).
Others were Tony Okeke (acting national publicity secretary), Simon
Jok (acting legal adviser), Tanko Beji (acting national youth leader)
and Oyibo Nwaneri (acting national women leader). Also appointed in
acting capacity were Yau Kwadon (deputy national legal adviser), Peter
Adefunmilayo (deputy national youth leader) and Nasiru Ibrahim Birchi
(deputy national auditor).
There were as well Mrs. Torkwase Ajoh (deputy national women
leader),Mohammed Dandari (national treasurer), Onyemaechi Ikechukwu
Jideofor (deputy national organising secretary), Awalu Gwalabe (deputy
national financial secretary), ChiefAugustine Lugbenwei (deputy
national treasurer), Calib Yahaya (deputy national publicity
secretary), Chief Akin Taiwo (ex-officio), Tope Ademiluyi
(ex-officio), Chief Mike Akinfenwa (ex-officio) and Gbenga Oduwaiye
(ex-officio).
Also yesterday, the NWC commended President Goodluck Jonathan and all
NEC members for the success of the 61st NEC meeting, which held last
week. According to NEC, which met yesterday, "the maturity and
sincerity with which the President and other leaders of the party
handled the leadership challenges facing the PDP has once more
indicated that the party is ever capable of solving its problems,
contrary to the doomsday prophecies of the opposition."
A statement by the Acting National Publicity Secretary, Caeser Tony
Okeke, declared: "We have said repeatedly that many voices but one
resolution in the aftermath of wide consultation is the hallmark of
democracy. In PDP, we disagree, we hold individual opinion but we
agree and resolve our differences, and the party, as well as the
polity, is better for it.
"The founding fathers of our great party have built the PDP as a
melting pot. They enthroned the PDP as a platform where all Nigerians,
irrespective of creed, race or political persuasion, would find
expression. Thus, we have remained the strongest centripetal pull on
the unity of the nation and so shall it continue."
The statement added: "We, therefore,commend the President, the Vice
President, members of Board of Trustees (BoT), leaders of the National
Assembly, PDP state governors and other leaders of our great party at
various levels for their sensitivity to this sacred responsibility
incumbent on our mandate as custodian of Nigeria's democracy."
It further commended the resilience of other members of the party and
assured that the leadership would continue to work assiduously to
ensure that the transformation programmes of the PDP-led Federal
Government are faithfully implemented to better the lot of all
Nigerians.