Obasanjo meets Jonathan, calls for emergency meeting of PDP elders

Former Nigerian President, Olusegun
Obasanjo, has asked elders of the Peoples
Democratic Party(PDP) to urgently
convey a meeting to find a lasting
solution to the crisis in the party.
Seven state governors and some other
leaders of the PDP including former Vice
President Atiku Abubakar announced the
formation of a separate faction of the
PDP; and announced Kawu Baraje as its
chairman. The PDP leaders had walked
out of the party’s national convention held
on Saturday in Abuja.
Mr. Obasanjo did not attend the
convention. His aides said he had “ cold “.
Mr. Obasanjo stated his position on
Sunday evening in Abeokuta after
returning from Abuja, where he met
President Goodluck Jonathan.
“The situation in our ruling Peoples’
Democratic Party (PDP) after the
convention on Saturday and the parallel
convention same day has given great
concern to all well-meaning members of
the party and particularly to the elders of
the party,” Mr. Obasanjo noted.
“While some select elders are making
efforts to get the situation resolve as soon
as possible, it is imperative to emphasise
that the move will bring back peace and
return the party to its vigorous and
dynamic election-winning party that it has
always been,” he added.
Mr. Obasanjo, former Chairman of the
PDP Board of Trustees, however, begged
the feuding camps to let peace reign and
let the status quo remain, and appealed
to elders of the party to call an urgent
meeting.
“I want to passionately appeal to both
sides for now to sheath their swords,
maintain the status quo, with earliest
conveyance of the Elders’ meeting before
the end of this week.
“Members are equally enjoined to remain
calm until the Elders’ complete their
peace-making meeting,” he stressed.
Mr. Obasanjo, after his arrival from Abuja,
reportedly met some major stakeholders
of the party at his Abeokuta residence on
the party’s crisis.