Thursday, December 9, 2010

PDP NWC meets over IBB’s threat

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday in Abuja held a crucial meeting in response to the threat by a former presidential aspirant, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), to leave the party.

Babangida had on Tuesday threatened to quit the fold if the party did not rescind its decision to allow President Goodluck Jonathan contest the 2011 presidential election. THE PUNCH learnt that the party’s National Working Committee was still meeting as at 6.30pm.

Mr. Ike Abonyi, spokesman of the PDP National Chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, confirmed the meeting. He said, “The PDP’s first reaction was to give the letter to the Legal Adviser. As I speak with you, the party’s National Working Committee is meeting to deliberate on Babangida’s letter and to take a decision. After the meeting, the party might decide to reply it or not.”

But the Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation, in a reaction, berated Babangida over his threat contained in a letter to Nwodo and described him as ‘a confused man.’ The group, in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity Committee, Mr. Sully Abu, said that besides being confused, Babangida was on ‘the precipe of political oblivion.’

But in a reaction, Abu recalled that for three months, the Mallam Adamu Ciroma-led Northern Political Leaders Forum searched for a consensus aspirant of northern extraction. He added that those screened were Babangida, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; the immediate past National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau (retd.); and Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Abu said that when Abubakar emerged as the consensus aspirant of the NPLF, the other aspirants accepted the verdict and pledged to give the former vice-president their full support.

Sully said, “The Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation sympathises with IBB’s predicament. Having lost to Atiku in their so-called consensus arrangement, he must have been thrown into confusion and desperation at the prospects of impending political oblivion.

“Clutching at the straw of zoning seems attractive to a drowning man. But regional jingoism is unsuited for a man who once held the highest office in the land.”

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