PDP reaches out to estranged members and 'G7' governors

 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has embarked on moves to get five of its governors who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) back under its umbrella.

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on Wednesday said he was not aware of any member of the PDP defecting to another party.

Tukur said this while fielding questions from journalists after meeting behind closed doors with the PDP Senate caucus and the Central Working Committee of the party.

Aggrieved members of the PDP in the Senate such as Bukola Saraki, Shaaba Lafiaji, Wilson Ake, Danjuma Goje, Ali Ndume, Adamu Abdullahi, Magnus Abe, Hassan Barata, Jubrin Bindo and Aishat Al-Hassan, did not attend the meeting which lasted about four hours.

It was gathered yesterday that the party has reopened discussion with them with the aim of resolving the issues that pushed them to join the opposition party.
 
Besides, the presidency has joined forces with the party to engage the five governors who defected from the PDP in November so that they could return to the ruling party.
 
The defected governors are: Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa). However, amid speculations over a plot by the PDP to remove the five governors, the APC Thursday warned the ruling party against any attempt to remove them, saying this would not bode well for the peace of the country.

Tukur also acknowledged the challenges facing the party but said that they were surmountable “because PDP is one family working together towards achieving a common goal.”

The President of the Senate, David Mark, who led the PDP senators to the meeting,also admitted that the party was facing some challenges.

But he said that the party was capable of addressing the issues like a family matter.

Mark said, “We admit we have some challenges in the party. It is expected in a big party like PDP . It is not unusual. We are equal to the challenges as a party. Hopefully, we shall come out of the crisis stronger.”