G-7 govs defy police, meet in Abuja

Governors Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Rabiu Musa kwanwaso, Sule Lamido, Rotimi Amaechi, Governor Murtala Nyako and some top leaders of the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) including the chairman of the group Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje were among those at the meeting.Witnesses told Daily Trust that no sooner had the meeting begun by 7pm yesterday than […]

Governors Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Rabiu Musa kwanwaso, Sule Lamido, Rotimi Amaechi, Governor Murtala Nyako and some top leaders of the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) including the chairman of the group Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje were among those at the meeting.
Witnesses told Daily Trust that no sooner had the meeting begun by 7pm yesterday than four trucks load of armed policemen arrived at the lodge and demanded to be allowed into the premise.
The witnesses said the policemen who were led by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Asokoro Police unit CSP Nnanna Amah were stopped by the security details of the five governors who had manned the gate.
As commotion ensued in the process of stopping the policemen from entering the premises, the governors who were irked by the noise from outside came out to see what was happening. They were thus told that policemen were at the lodge demanding to be allowed into the venue of the meeting.
The governors then invited the leader of the police team CSP Amah into lodge to brief them on his mission, and he was said to have told them that he had orders to stop the meeting or arrest them.
The governors where said to have  challenged him, saying they were free under the Constitution of the Federal Republic to associate, but that if he thought otherwise he could go ahead and arrest them. The DPO was said to have stood for a while and retreated, leaving his men behind while the meeting continued.
Governor Kwankwaso who spoke to newsmen at the end of the meeting with officials of the party, confirmed the incident, saying the DPO told them that he had orders from the Presidency to stop their meeting or arrest them.
“I see this as an affront not only on me as a person; because as a citizen of this country I have the right to associate, but I see it as an affront on the entire people of Kano State, since I have their mandate as a governor.
“We have not seen this type of thing even in the dark days of the military and it is unfortunate that this thing would be happening in a democracy where the freedom of every individual is guaranteed,” he said.
Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, who corroborated Kwankwaso’s statement lamented the extent the authorities had gone in their bid to stop the meeting of the G-7 governors.
Former national secretary of the PDP, Senator Olagunsoye Oyinlola on his part said despite the attempt to stop the governors, they continued with their meeting defying the order of arrest.
He said their understanding was that since they were yet to hold the final meeting with the President, they are free to continue to associate to harmonise their position. But he expressed worry that they were confronted in the manner it happened yesterday.
Oyinlola said that it was resolved at the meeting that the group would continue to meet preparatory to their anticipated meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan over the demand tabled before him.
FCT police spokesperson, DSP Hyelhira Altine Daniel, could not be reached for comments as her lines were not going through up to press time.
Daily Trust learnt that the governors had earlier met with members of the House of Representatives who are sympathetic to the new PDP at an undisclosed location.
A similar meeting of the G-7 governors at the Sokoto governor’s lodge was last week dispersed in similar circumstance.
A statement by the national publicity secretary of the nPDP,  Eze Chukwuemeka Eze condemned yesterday’s incident saying the caucus of the new PDP were meeting to review progress reports, accept the reports of committees and take important decisions on the future of the movement.
“Sadly, midway into the meeting, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Asokoro Police Unit, CSP Nnanna Amah, burst into the scene and ordered the meeting stopped, threatening to mobilize troops to abort it if his order was not obeyed. According to CSP Ama he has the directive from the Villa to arrest the Governors if the meeting is not stopped.
Eze said before the arrival of CSP Amah the governors had gone far in their deliberations and mandated its caucus to deliberate in its next meeting to be held immediately after the proposed peace talks with President Goodluck Jonathan to consider either to remain in PDP or accept the proposal of APC or join PDM, VOA or form a new political party.
Governors Aliyu Wammako of Sokoto and Abdulfatai Ahmed of Kwara State could not make it to the meeting yesterday but were said to have sent their apologies, which were accepted by the caucus.
Other leaders who attended include Senator Danjuma Goje (Gombe State) and Senator Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa State) and former deputy national chairman of the PDP Sam Jaja.