PDP Crisis: Jonathan Reaches Out To Obasanjo

SAN FRANCISCO, January 19, (THEWILL) – An end appears to be in sight for the festering crisis in the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) as President Goodluck Jonathan, Saturday, offered an olive branch to former President Olusegun Obasanjo who has been boycotting the activities of the party since he resigned as chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) early last year.

At a reception held for the former BoT chairman by the South-west chapter of the party in Abeokuta, Jonathan, who was represented by vice president Namadi Sambo in the company with PDP national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and former Ghanaian president, John Kufuor, hailed Obasanjo for his contributions to the development of the country.

It would be recalled that Obasanjo had followed up his resignation as the party’s BoT chairman with boycott of the BoT meetings at the end of last year and January 8 during which the party failed to produce a leader. And at the end of the last meeting, a committee led by Prof. Jerry Gana was established to streamline the BoT, which membership was said to be over-bloated, a move regarded as a scheme to weed out Obasanjo loyalists on the Board.

But Jonathan, who had been trying to mediate and mitigate the crisis in the PDP, in a reconciliatory move, described Obasanjo as a much admired and highly respected elder statesman whose life is closely tied to the history and evolution of Nigeria.

“The contribution of Baba has secured for him a special place in the annals of our history. He guided our country through some of the most challenging periods of her history. Indeed there is much to him and his legacy as former president, former chairman of the Board of Trustees of our great party and foremost farmer,” Jonathan said at the occasion.

A statement issued by the spokesperson of the Vice President, Alhaji Sani Umar, noted that Jonathan enumerated the achievements of his administration in the areas of education, power and others, assuring that his administration was on course in fulfilling its promises and meeting its basic obligations to the people. He also called for continued cooperation and understanding to enable it achieve its good intentions and actions.

Obasanjo, in his response, commended the Jonathan administration for doing what was right for the people by addressing the critical sectors of the economy.