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abujagirl
Guest
A reconciliation meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and all the 23 Governors of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took place last night at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting between the president and governors was previously scheduled to take place a week ago, but was postponed to yesterday after the seven aggrieved governors, who broke away alongside others to form the New PDP, asked for more time.
According to Daily Times NG, the meeting started around 9pm and journalists were barred from the vicinity of the meeting. The meeting was held in the first lady’s wing of Aso rock villa.
It was the first time that the president had met with dissenting or G7 governors, comprising Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Sule Lamido (Jigawa), as well as other governors considered to be loyal to him, to thrash out their grievances.
A presidency source informed THISDAY that the duration of the meeting was an indication that they were serious about resolving the crises that have threatened the future of PDP.
He said the president and governors were trying to arrive at a win-win situation that everyone will be comfortable with, in order to move the party forward.
It was, however, learnt that some of the contending demands made by the breakaway group include that President Jonathan either drops his unannounced goal of going for a second term in 2015 or he drops Namadi Sambo as Vice President and instead, take one of them, possibly Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido as his running mate for the 2015 election.
They are also said to be demanding the re-instatement of Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi as the authentically elected Chairman of the Nigeria Governors' forum.
No official statement has been made on the outcome of the meeting which lasted till the wee hours of Wednesday.
