President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday night intensified lobby ahead of the emergency meeting of the National Executive Council of the Peoples Democratic Party billed for Thursday at the party’s Wadata building, Abuja headquarters.
The President met with three separate groups in what was seen as an eleventh hour lobby aimed at ensuring that the NEC meeting goes his way.
He first met with Governor Aliyu Magartakada Wamakko of Sokoto State, one of the five aggrieved governors that have been consulting with past leaders on the state of the nation.
Other aggrieved governors are Governors Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, Muritala Nyako of Adamawa State, Rabiu Kwakwanso of Kano State and Sule Lamido of Jigawa State.
Thereafter, President Jonathan met with PDP leaders from the South West and later at night with PDP leaders from Bayelsa State.
It is not clear what informed the series of meeting on the eve of an all-important NEC meeting.
However, feelers indicated that the President may be rallying support for the embattled National Chairman of the, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.
Present at the meeting with PDP leaders were Chief Olabode George, Chief Abiola Ogundokun, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Senator Hosea Agboola, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Senator Lekan Balogun, Senator Musliu Obanikoro, Chief Kayode Adetokunbo and Elder Wole Oyelese.
Also in attendance were the Ministers of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade; the Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada; and the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga.
Speaking with State House correspondents, Governor Wamakko described the meeting as “just a routine visit to the President of this great country”.
He said it had nothing to do with NEC.
After the meeting with the Sokoto State governor, President Jonathan went into a meeting with PDP elders from the South West, led by former PDP National Deputy Chairman (South), Chief Bode George.
Fielding questions from newsmen, George said the meeting was in continuation of consultations aimed building a formidable party in the zone ahead of the 2015 elections.
He also vowed that they would chase those he described as ‘termites’ out of the party.
His words: “We came to see the leader of the party to discuss the situation in our zone.
“And with all intents and purposes, we don’t want to have an acrimony.
“You know this is why we have to say that there is need to take a cursory look at the PDP South West because the house that has been built.
“We cannot allow it to be destroyed.
“If termites enter your house, you don’t run out to go and be a tenant elsewhere.
“You must fight it and so we made the presentation of our complete x-ray of the PDP situation in the South West and I believe that the meeting was very successful.
“I am happy that we are going to start looking in the same direction at the end of this time.
“The national convention is one, the speculation about what is happening in the party and all that.
“You know big man, big problem.
“The way the other little, these new parties are coming up is also another issue.
“For us, we have been there since 1998.
“They will have to come and learn how to manage Nigeria.
“They have been managing tribes, the tribal set ups all over the place.
“But this time around, they are going to learn how to manage Nigeria and that is what the PDP has been doing.
“Remember also that the zoning concept in our own constitution is not in the national constitution but we are happy that it has sustained democracy since 1999 and we have concluded and we are affirmed that there will be no shaking.”
On what he meant by termites, George said: “What I am saying is that in this game, talking about termites if you build a house, termites will come, if you are not careful.
“But in our own game, in politics, when you get to this stage, anything is possible in a political war.
“They can send people who are not friendly with you to come and pretend that they are your friends.
“Those are the termites I am talking about.
“You don’t run away from the termites inside your house and say you will be a tenant.
“You must stay and make sure that the termites in your own house are caged.”
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