Jonathan’s Adamawa reconciliation meeting ends in deadlock

Details emerging from the meeting of President Goodluck Jonathan with stakeholders of the  Adamawa State People’s Democratic Party  (PDP) indicated a deadlock as aggrieved members continue  to reject some PDP candidates for next elections. President Jonathan had held closed door meeting with party leadership, elected officials, candidates and aggrieved aspirants in Yola on Saturday where […]

Details emerging from the meeting of President Goodluck Jonathan with stakeholders of the  Adamawa State People’s Democratic Party  (PDP) indicated a deadlock as aggrieved members continue  to reject some PDP candidates for next elections.

President Jonathan had held closed door meeting with party leadership, elected officials, candidates and aggrieved aspirants in Yola on Saturday where he sought to reconcile warring parties to consolidate the chances of his party in forth coming elections.
Former National chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur, his son Awwal Tukur and former minister of Petroleum, Professor Jibril Aminu were absent at the meeting.
The meeting ended in stalemate as some aspirants refused to accept the result of party primaries which was conducted in Abuja where all PDP candidates emerged despite pleadings by Jonathan.
Those who attended the meeting include the national chairman of the PDP, Adamu Muazu, Governor Bala Nggilari, Deputy Governor Saad Tahir,  Ali Gulak, Senator Jonathan Zwingina, Senator Grace Bent, Aliyu Hong, Senator Abubakar Girei, state  party officials and political office holders.
Shortly after the meeting, senator Bent who contested for the PDP Senate seat for  the Adamawa Southern Zone and lost to Zwingina said she could not support him (Zwingina) in the general elections.
“I can’t go and campaign for Zwingina because I will be stoned  I don’t want to waste time on people like that”, Bent said.
She  rejected the Abuja primaries that produced party candidates for the state, insisting that it was illegal to shift the venue of the  primary election to Abuja.
“Technically speaking, Adamawa state PDP does not have candidates for the election, if you go by the party guidelines and Electoral Act 2014 which made it clear that all primaries must hold at party constituencies while that of the governor at the state capital”, Bent pointed out.
Grace who commended President Jonathan for convening the reconciliation meeting which she said could be a stepping stone also lamented the fact that the crisis that emanated from the party primaries caused injury to the party as it lost a significant number of supporters to other political parties.
She stressed the need for the President to reach out to  key stakeholders with large followership such as the likes of  Alhaji Bamanga Tukur to make the reconciliation effort fruitful.
Few weeks ago, the state PDP chairman, Chief Joel Madaki had lamented the fact that many of the party’s stalwarts are working for the opposition.