Jonathan, PDP leaders meet over Obasanjo, poll

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday met with some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in Abuja. The reason for the meeting was not immediatelty clear. A source said it was all about the party’s crises in some states and former President Olusegun Obasanjo drammatic exit from the party.

The meeting reviewed the campaign of the party in 35 of the 36 states.

The PDP has problems in more than 10 states, including Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Niger, Benue Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Katsina, Gombe, Adamawa, Oyo, and Kebbi..

Ahead of likely sanctions, Obasanjo was said to have decided to beat PDP to its game.

Obasanjo had stumbled on intelligence report that he might either be suspended or expelled from the party. He quit in a sensational manner tearing his PDP membership card.

His fast-track approach caught the Presidency and the PDP unawares.

There was disquiet in ex-military President Ibrahim Babangida’s camp over the deteriorating relationship between Dr. Jonathan and Chief Obasanjo.

The President, it was learnt, had a meeting with some party leaders at the Presidential Villa.

A party source said: “We were all shocked by Obasanjo’s comments on Saturday. We felt the party is drifting again in an election year and we should mend fences. The President had audience with some of our leaders on how to manage the situation.

“But as we are trying to see how to reconcile, Obasanjo again tore his PDP membership card in Abeokuta. You can see that we need to put our house in order.

“We hope our leaders will find solutions to challenges facing the party. We will also take stock of the party’s campaign and where we ought to make amend.”

Another source said: “As at Sunday night, there was so much pressure on the presidency to clip Obasanjo’s wings by suspending or expelling him.

“Obasanjo got wind of plans to deal with him through intelligence sources and hurriedly convened a ward meeting to tear his PDP membership card.

“Rather than waiting to be disgraced, Obasanjo opted for self-exit. The fast-track method adopted by Obasanjo however troubled many party leaders and members.

A government source said: “We learnt what pained Obasanjo was the way some presidential and campaign organisation aides   were abusing him.

“The former President said he had no business in PDP again if it would get to a level that these aides will take him to the cleaners. He felt insulted. But he has forgotten that he also rubbished the President.

“Having been in government before, he needed no soothsayer to know that the Presidency may play dirty by revealing what an official of PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation called ‘personal demands’ on the disquiet in the camp of ex-President Ibrahim Babangida.

A source said: “Irrespective of the situation, some people in Babangida’s camp are of the opinion that Obasanjo deserves some measure of respect.

“They said Jonathan’s camp ought to have looked at the issues raised rather than personalising the situation.

“There is disquiet in Babangida’s camp. Some loyalists of Babangida, especially retired Generals, are unhappy with what is going on.”