Contrary to the news spread on Monday by the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Obong Godswill Akpabio, the seven rebel governors who are members of the New Peoples Democratic Party did not endorse the ambition of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to continue preparations to run in the 2015 presidential election.
Rising from a meeting that lasted late into the evening on Monday in Abuja, one of the seven governors told The Eagle Online that at no point in time did the issue of Jonathan’s presidential ambition come up during the peace meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Sunday night.
The ‘rebel governor’, who sought for anonymity based on the agreement reached to stop the media war in the crisis that has torn the PDP apart, said it was unfortunate that Akpabio could go to the extent of spreading falsehood just hours after a meeting that should have seen progress in the reconciliatory efforts.
Akpabio had on Monday said that the seven aggrieved governors have shifted ground from their hard stance that Jonathan should not run for a second term in 2015.
Speaking with State House correspondents on Monday after meeting with the President, Governor Akpabio, who doubles as the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, said the two parties agreed at the Sunday meeting that Jonathan’s constitutional right to a second term is not negotiable.
President Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo, Chief Tony Anenih and five governors loyal to the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP had met with the aggrieved governors on Sunday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Prior to that meeting, the governors, who have been talking on behalf of the Abubakar Baraje-led New PDP, had been consistent with three key demands: They are that the President should denounce 2015; that Bamanga Tukur should quit as national chairman; and that the Presidency should stop witch-hunting their members such as former Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State.
Governor Akapabio said while the issue of the President’s eligibility to run in 2015 has been sorted out, discussion would continue on the other two demands when talks resume on October 7.
He spoke further: “The processes are on and of course on the issue of 2015, both sides agreed that it wasn’t an issue for discussion because every single person has a right to have ambition.
“Some of the governors may have ambition like I have ambition to go to Senate and you can’t discuss anything about another person’s ambition.
“You are the only person that can discuss your own ambition.
“Ambition is personal.
“So both parties agreed to that.
“In all other issues, we have put in place methodologies of settling them and of course it’s a process issue.
“Process is on.
“It was in the first place an internal issue of the PDP and so we are going to settle it internally and if you want to know how it is going to be settled, then you have to leave being a journalist to join the PDP family.
“The PDP family is coming back together.
“We have started a process of total reconciliation and of course you know the house is very large, very robust and PDP is very entrenched and there is no way we can have internal wrangling without being able to resolve it.
“So, clearly speaking, it was just a family disagreement and the processes are in place now to bring everybody on board and Nigerians are very happy.”
But the governor who spoke with The Eagle Online said it was unfortunate Akpabio could sell such a dummy to the public.
He said there was no time the meeting agreed that Jonathan could run and that this still remains an issue.
He said it was unfortunate that due to an agreement, no one was allowed into the venue of the meeting with a mobile telephone, hence the proceedings could not be recorded.
He said such barefaced lie as told by Akpabio is one of the reasons they record at meetings with the opposing camp.
The governor added: “Imagine we did not record proceedings when we had the election of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, isn’t this how lies would also have been told?
“Anyway, we are not ready to banter words with Akpabio, when the time comes, let him come to enforce that as part of the issues already resolved.
“We are waiting for him.”
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