The last hope of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) survival has been dashed as the two remaining governors in the party have gone separate ways; while Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and the party’s Board of Trustees have aligned with the Court of Appeal-backed reconciliation accord with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike’s camp, his Bauchi State counterpart, the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Bala Mohammed said he cannot work with Wike.
PUNCH quoted PDP sources saying Makinde and the expanded BoT meeting agreed that both factions should appoint legal teams and senior party leaders to draft the terms of the reconciliation accord and submit them to the Court of Appeal for approval.
The anonymous PDP Chieftain said there had been some progress from the BoT meeting which ended at night as members and leaders of the party, especially the governors and other stakeholders, reconvened around 11pm and had a moment-of-truth conversation among themselves. They told each other the truth about how to preserve the party.
He said “while Governor Makinde and other critical stakeholders hoped for reconciliation, Governor Bala seems uninterested in reconciling with the Wike-aligned camp. He expressed his view that they are not the kind of people he wants to work with. Others are still trying to persuade him to see the importance of reconciliation.
“That is why he (Bala) did not attend today’s (Wednesday) expanded BoT meeting. This is because he is aware of the disposition of the BoT members, Governor Makinde and others, who support reconciliation with Wike’s group. So, Governor Bala did not show up because he is not interested in reconciling with the Wike camp for now.”
According to the chieftain, the reconciliation would determine who gets what in the upcoming NWC composition and outline the process for implementation.
He said “of course, the BoT forged ahead. Makinde, with the support of other stakeholders in the expanded BoT meeting, agreed on the need for genuine reconciliation with the other party. They recommended that to avoid any breaches of the agreement, both sides should constitute a committee of members, including legal experts and individuals knowledgeable in the law to draft an agreement.
“Whatever understanding and accord the committee reaches will then be submitted to the Court of Appeal. Recall that the Appeal Court in Ibadan had ruled that the parties should seek an out-of-court settlement. The court will review the agreement and rule on it to ensure it is binding on all members.
“Basically, that is the situation for now. In the coming days, members of this committee will be fully unveiled. They will meet to finalise details, agree on positions, and determine how the party will move forward. Soon, the public will see how this process unfolds.”
