There were strong indications on Friday that the peace meeting conveyed by the elders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to reconcile the warring factions was deadlocked after about five hours of jaw-jaw.
Emerging from the meeting presided over by former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, the New PDP Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, and Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State headed straight to inspect the faction’s secretariat, which is still being renovated.
Located at 4, Oyi River Crescent, Maitama, the two-storey building secretariat, with the PDP colour of Green-White-Red, is allocated Plot number 3206A.
The ruling party’s elders at the meeting were the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih; former Military President, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida; and two former National Chairman of the party, Senators Ahmadu Alli and Barnabas Gemade.
The other two members, Chiefs Solomon Lar and Dr. Alex Ekwueme, were said to be outside the country.
This was confirmed by Obasanjo.
The peace meeting was attended by the two factions but they were kept in separate rooms at Transcorp.
While the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP were in Benue Hall, the Baraje group were in Kaduna Hall.
On Tukur’s delegation were Governors Henry Seriake-Dickson of Bayelsa State, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State and Jonah Jang of Plateau State.
Henry Akitoye, the Acting National Secretary of the Tukur faction, was also at the meeting.
Baraje was accompanied by Governors Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, Magatargada Aliu Wamakko of Sokoto State and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State.
However, the leaders, led by Chief Obasanjo, were seen shuttling between the two halls.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Chief Obasanjo said: “I thank you for exercising patience.
“You have seen five us.
“As select elders of the party, we have taken it upon ourselves to prevent the worst from happening to our party.
“Two of us, Lar and Ekwueme, are abroad and could not join us but we are carrying them along.
“But suffice to say that there is family dispute within the PDP, which we want to stem the tide of, and prevent our party from going to the brink.
“And I want to say that we have met with the two sides of the family.
“We have listened to them and of course we are going to put our heads together and go on from there.”
The Eagle Online, however, gathered that both sides maintained their earlier positions and were not ready to shift ground.
The Baraje faction was said to have insisted on going ahead with the opening of their national secretariat as planned.
They were also said to have insisted that the court should be left to decide which faction is authentic.
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