Tanko Yakassi laments formation of PDP’s splinter governors’ forum

Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

As the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, basks in the euphoria of setting up its own Governors’ Forum with the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, as the chairman, elder statesman and politician, Alhaji Tanko Yakassi, has condemned the move, saying it is capable of weakening the party’s unity and cohesion.

Speaking exclusively to Vanguard in response to Monday’s emergence of the party’s governors’ forum after a nocturnal meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, Yakassi noted that it was wrong for the PDP to create factions after remaining under one umbrella for over 14 years.

According to the Second Republic National Assembly Adviser to President Shagari, the emergence of the PDP Governors’ Forum in addition to the existing Nigerian Governors’ Forum and the Northern Governors’ Forum is deliberately aimed at subjugating both Governors Rotimi Amaechi and Babangida Aliyu to the whims and caprices of Akpabio.

Yakassi noted, “I do not know how the PDP came to the conclusion that the best thing to do at this point in time is to set up its own governors’ forum.  As far as I am concerned, the move has no motive than to strip Amaechi naked and make him and Babangida Aliyu subservient to Akpabio.

“What those behind the action should know is that it does not speak well of the party especially at a time when the opposition parties have seen the need to work together and they have merged into one strong entity.

“Those who mooted the idea of the new PDP governors’ forum should remember the simple saying that ‘united we stand, divided we fall’.

“Whatever must have informed the decision to set up a separate PDP governors’ forum, I do not think that it is a healthy development.

“If PDP has been surviving as a single party, I do no reason for splitting into small units now,” Yakassi noted.

Attempts to speak with some of the Northern governors, who were in Abuja for the meeting was not successful but one of them, told one of our correspondents that as loyal party members they had to toe the party line concerning the new forum.

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