PDP’s crisis deepens

• Jonathan, leaders meet
• Atiku’s faction sues Tukur’s group 
• Party awaits outcome of elders’ intervention
• Compromise may lead to new structure 
. Faction pledges to accept verdict, insists on justice
AS the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) top hierarchy meets Tuesday with President Goodluck Jonathan, a fresh legal hurdle threatens an early resolution of the party’s crisis.
  The meeting Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, is a follow-up to a similar one held between Jonathan and 16 PDP governors, four of who were arrowheads of the faction referred to as the New PDP.
  Indicative of the widening crack in the PDP, the faction led by Alhaji Kawu Baraje Monday filed a suit before a Lagos High Court seeking to stop the Dr. Bamanga Tukur-led group from further functioning as officers of the party.
  The plaintiffs are Baraje, Sam Sam Jaja,  Olagunsoye Oyinlola and the PDP.
  They are asking the court to restrain defendants in the suit - Tukur,  Uche Secondus, Mrs. Kema Chikwe, Olisah Metuh and others -   from parading themselves as members of the National Executive of the party.
  Tukur is the Chairman of his own faction, Secondus the Deputy Chairman, Chikwe  the Woman Leader and Metuh the Publicity Secretary.
  The court, presided over by Justice Ganiyu Safari, granted the plaintiffs’ leave to serve the defendants in their various locations which are outside the court’s jurisdiction.
  But the court refused to hear the plaintiffs’ argument on the determination of which of the factions is legally entitled to be members of the National Executive Council of the party.
  Justice Safari ordered that status quo be maintained and ordered the plaintiffs to convert the ex-parte motion to motion on notice, which the court ruled, must be served on other parties.  He adjourned the matter till September 9.
  The uncertainty is increasing as the PDP awaits the outcome of the intervention by its elders regarding the breakaway of some of its members last Saturday.
  The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, told journalists at the end of the National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja that the party’s elders and leaders would consider issues raised and their implications before arriving at the appropriate solution.
  It was learnt yesterday that negotiations between the two PDP factions at the reconciliatory meetings may result in a compromise that might in turn affect the current structure of the PDP leadership.
  Ahead of the rescheduled meeting of the PDP leaders today, some leaders of the Atiku Abubakar-led breakaway group of the party met yesterday evening in a prominent hotel in Abuja to consolidate on the position of the faction and decide on which one could be dropped or insisted on.
  A source close to the breakaway group disclosed yesterday that its grievances would be more thoroughly discussed by the party elders so that appropriate solutions would be applied.
  “You see, we cannot say a final word on the issue right now. Some people were not happy with the way things have been done in the party and discussions are ongoing already. Nobody can tell you that he has won or lost until those intervening have concluded their exercise. What I can also tell you is that the people you called breakaway faction are not stupid. They would not be carried away by mere promises this time around.”
  He continued: “That is why they are meeting this evening to consolidate their grievances, review them and consider the ones that can be dropped and those to insist on. What is certain for now is that each camp must be prepared to yield ground. Some things will definitely give way in both camps no matter big or small.”
  Metuh declared that a high-level consultation on the protest by Atiku, and the seven governors which culminated in the declaration of new PDP was in progress.
  “Consultation is going on at the highest level of this party, the president, national chairman of our party, chairman, board of trustees and PDP governors are meeting on this and their discussions so far have been very encouraging. At the appropriate time, we will communicate to the media the decisions they reached. The meeting is continuing on Tuesday, and once the meeting is over, whatever the outcome is, we will communicate immediately to the press and we will inform you the reasons behind the decisions, but for now, consultations are going on at the highest level of this country of the party,” Metuh said.
   Monday’s meeting of the NWC was unusually brief having lasted for less than an hour.
  PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, left the party national secretariat shortly after the meeting ended at noon and never returned to office.
  Also, the party has re-affirmed Dr. Charles Aderemi Akitoye as its Acting National Secretary until a court order which restrained it from conducting an election into that office is finally disposed of.
  Metuh said that there was no basis for the removal of Akitoye from office since there was no representation to that effect from the South-West where the position was zoned to.
  According to Metuh, “there is no basis for the replacement of Dr. Akintoye as the Acting National Secretary of the party until the pending suit is decided finally.  More so, is there any protest from the South-West Zone against him? Is there any court order? There is no protest, there is no petition, there is no representation against him. So, Dr. Akitoye remains the Acting National Secretary of the party until the court decides otherwise.”
  Oyinlola had written to the National Convention Planning Committee of the party over his pending appeal on the office and the need for the committee not to conduct election into the office of the National Secretary which the party took judicial notice  of and put the election on hold.
  The breakaway group of the PDP yesterday declared that it would be guided by the intervention of the elders of the party into the crisis between it and the Tukur-led PDP.
  In a statement by its National Secretary, Oyinlola, the New PDP said it would remain committed to the struggle against injustice.
  The statement stressed the resolve of the new PDP to continue with its mission of rescuing the party.
  It reads in part: “Alhaji Baraje and other leaders of the party appreciate the overwhelming outpouring of support and encouragement from genuine members and leaders of the party across the country. We assure them that we will not disappoint them in the mission to make the PDP work again in the interest of Nigeria and its people.
  “We also appreciate the efforts of leaders of the party, particularly President Goodluck Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo who, we note, have scheduled a meeting of the party elders for this week. We respect the elders and will be guided by them even as we stress that we will not abandon the ideals of justice and fairness that gave birth to the new party leadership under Alhaji Baraje.
  “We equally call on all party members across the country to remain peaceful and law-abiding as the PDP rescue process is being pursued with vigour. We owe the coming generation of Nigerians a duty of ensuring that impunity and dictatorship do not take any root in our democracy and, indeed, in our nation,” the statement added.
  The statement pointed out that the leadership was encouraged by the overwhelming support it had been receiving from party members across the country in its mission to salvage the party.
  The new PDP said it had also sent a condolence message to its Adamawa State chapter on the road crash that killed some delegates from that state on Saturday.