Mu’azu abroad as Jonathan summons PDP meeting

But the National chairman, Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, said he would not be able to attend because he was abroad already to take care of his health on doctor’s advice.His office issued a statement yesterday in Abuja saying he was currently “undergoing medical attention abroad and will return to the country as soon as his doctors […]

But the National chairman, Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, said he would not be able to attend because he was abroad already to take care of his health on doctor’s advice.
His office issued a statement yesterday in Abuja saying he was currently “undergoing medical attention abroad and will return to the country as soon as his doctors are satisfied with his medical condition.”
The statement said President Jonathan, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih; Senate President David Mark; and members of the National Working Committee of the party were all aware of the Chairman’s medical trip abroad.
President Jonathan directed Mu’azu to convene a meeting of all party leaders in the country including members of the party’s National Working Committee.
Sources within the PDP said the president scheduled the meeting for today because Mu’azu’s travel notice to him suggested he would return to the country today.
The PDP has been hit by infighting since the president lost his re-election bid.
State governors of the PDP blamed Mu’azu and the National Working Committee for the party’s dismal outing in the election and demanded that they resign from their posts.
The President himself had not commented publicly on his loss in the election. However, Mu’azu and ranking party leaders are blaming some unnamed presidential aides for orchestrating the call for their sack.
Sources told Daily Trust last night that the urgency with which the president called for the meeting had alarmed members of the NWC.
They suspected that the meeting could be stormy and might even lead to the dissolution of NWC.
Mu’azu was advised to stay away ‘till the coast is clear,’ a source said.
Mu’azu who has been silent about his whereabouts in the letter he personally signed yesterday said: “… My absence from the country lately has led to some apprehensions within the party resulting in various public interpretations, but the fact is, following the rigorous campaigns and its attendant toll on my health, I had to yield to the advice of my doctor to take a two weeks bed rest for proper checks and recuperations. I am happy to inform all our members that I have been responding to care and will soon return to the country.
“The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has noted the various reactions that trailed the unfortunate loss of our great party in the last general elections.
“In the last few weeks, the media has been fishing on these reactions with a section even blowing it out of proportion to a level that has become a threat to our oneness as a family.
“As the National Chairman and a key stakeholder in this party in the last 16 years, I quite understand and appreciate the concern, pain and frustrations of our members regarding our defeat.   
“I am also deeply worried about the division the development has generated within the PDP family especially regarding whether or not the national leadership should be dissolved as a direct consequence of our collective challenge.
“In the course of events, there have been reactions and counter-reactions among party members; mistakes have been made, some of them avoidable, but this is the time to put all of them behind us and move ahead as our party and its interest remain paramount and overriding.  
“Expectedly, our party has had a share of media bashing and misrepresentations, which contributed immensely to the misunderstanding we are facing in our fold.”  
Those invited for the meeting include PDP governors, members of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) members of the party’s caucus as well as PDP National Assembly members.
A member of the PDP BoT who asked not to be named confirmed receiving the invitation and confirmed that the meeting would be holding today at the presidential villa by 8:00 pm.