MEETING: PDP Board Of Trustees Hold Meeting With Jonathan In Otuoke

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday held an emergency meeting at the country home of former President Goodluck Jonathan in Otuoke, Bayelsa State,  it wades into the crisis rocking the state chapter of the party. At the meeting, both the state governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, and former governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, were ordered out of the venue by the party leadership. At the meeting which looked into the recommendations of the National Peace Committee for the state, the acting Chairman of the party’s BoT, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, called on all feuding members and stakeholders of the party in the state to close ranks, while also upturning the decision of the state chapter of the party to expel some prominent members from the party. President Jonathan was said to been scandalised by the action of the party at the state level, adding that the party cannot afford a major crisis less than five months to the governorship election. At the meeting which was held at the Jonathan country home amid tight security, some uninvited prominent persons, including those who had already defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), were walked out of the venue. THISDAY gathered that attendance was based strictly on membership of the board and on invitation. Those in attendance at the meeting included the BoT acting Chairman, Bello; the Secetary of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibril; the former Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator Sam Egwu; Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh and Senator Stella Omu. While some loyalists of the expelled party leaders, including the embattled Chairman of the PDP in the state, Col. Sam Inokoba, claimed that the Chairman of the state reconciliation committee and first governor of the state, Alameiyeiseigha and other party members were barred from attending the meeting due to non-membership of the party BoT. However, Inokoba and Senator Emmanuel Paulker were allowed into the meeting. The state Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Godspower Keku, in a statement issued yesterday, confirmed the reconciliation of the party’s leadership by the BoT and that the decision to rescind the suspensions and expulsions, was taken on the request of Dickson, who is the leader of the party in the state. He said the decision was taken in the best interest of the party, especially with a crucial election around the corner. Keku, however, pointed out that the lifting of the suspensions was still subject to the ratification of the State Working Committee, which is expected to deliberate on it soon. “The party welcomed the pardoned members and enjoin the party at all levels to involve them in all activities of the party, giving them second chance to prove their loyalty. All members of the party are enjoined to re-double their efforts towards ensuring victory for the party in the forthcoming governorship poll.” The state PDP statement read: “The meeting, which was convened at the instance of  President Jonathan also resolved to rescind the suspensions and expulsions placed on some members of the party, who have, despite the internal squabbles within its rank and file, remained in the PDP, unlike those, who defected to the opposition.” The state PDP Secretary, Keku, explained that the decision was taken in the best interest of the party, especially with a crucial election around the corner. He commended them for keeping faith with the PDP, despite the pressures to defect, like a number of others, who could not resist the temptation, despite having reaped bountifully from the PDP, since 1999. Some of those affected by the decision included Senators Paulker and Nimi Barigha Amange, Ayakeme Whiskey, Mrs. Marie Ebikake, Hon. Waripamowei Dudafa, Ebikitin Diongoli and Mrs. Remi Kuku, among others.

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