Determined to resolve the crisis of confidence between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors have decided to raise a three-man reconciliation committee.
The committee, which will be under the watch of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, may be constituted within the PDP Governors Forum, it was learnt yesterday.
But the governors have asked President Jonathan to checkmate the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, and demanded a probe of his activities.
The decisions of the governors were communicated to the President last Friday by the Chairman of the Forum, Obong Godswill Akpabio.
According to a governor, who pleaded not to be named, PDP governors are eager to reconcile the President and Amaechi as part of steps to put the party in good stead for 2015.
The source said: “Actually, there was a meeting of PDP governors as a fall-out of a meeting with ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. Mr. President called a meeting with Akpabio and said we should harmonise the outcome of the meetings with Obasanjo.
“We summoned the meeting of PDP governors to consider reconciliation and how to move forward.
“Some of the governors mentioned the resolution of the crisis in Rivers as central to the reunification of the party and insisted that a reconciliation committee be set up.
“We decided to raise another three-man committee to reconcile Mr. President and the Rivers State governor. We agreed that the new committee should not be part of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson’s Reconciliation Committee.
“We also reached a consensus that National Chairman Bamanga Tukur should make no input in the constitution of the panel. But we said the committee should be under the watch of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.”
Asked when the reconciliation committee will take off, the governor said: “I think by Friday, August 23rd, we should be able to constitute it. It may be an intra-PDP Governors Forum committee.”
The source also highlighted other issues tabled before the President. They include complaints against Wike, why Tukur should remain in office as the National Chairman and 2015 polls.
The source added: “Some of the governors said Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike should be checkmated and warned by the President because he is taking the Rivers crisis too far against the Chief Security Officer of the state, who is Amaechi.”
They said the President should ask relevant agencies to revisit how some governors were stoned during a solidarity visit to Rivers State by Wike’s supporters.
Adamawa State Governors Murtala Nyako was said to have come up with some allegations against Wike and asked that the President be notified of the minister’s activities.
On the fate of Tukur, the source said although some governors raised issues against the national chairman, most did not want him removed.
The source said: “Some of the governors said the alleged high-handedness of Tukur should be curtailed. They complained of not being carried along on party matters.
“In spite of the fact that at the tail end of the meeting, emotions rose on Tukur’s leadership style, majority of the governors said he should not be removed.”
The source also said the governors agreed that “2015 poll is around the corner and Rivers State is vital to PDP.
“They said PDP should not lose 2.3million votes from Rivers to the ongoing crisis.”
Another governor confirmed that early last Friday, Akpabio met with Mr. President on the decisions of the governors.
The source added: “Akpabio tabled all the decisions of the PDP governors to the President, who promised to look into all the issues, including observations on Wike.
“Akpabio, who is presently in the United States, is expected to meet with the President again on August 20.”
But it was learnt that Akpabio had also been reaching out to Amaechi and Wike.
The source said: “In the last three weeks, Akpabio has spoken four times with Amaechi. He is trying to see how reconciliation can be effected between the President and the governor.
“Akpabio has tried to call Wike to order to restore peace to Rivers State.”
