Anenih woos PDP govs, aggrieved members

By Emmanuel Aziken, Henry Umoru & Peter Duru

The Chief Tony Anenih-led Board of Trustees of Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Wednesday, continued its trouble-shooting offensive with a call on all aggrieved members and governors elected on the party’s platform not to leave the party.

Anenih’s assurance in Makurdi, Benue State at the residence of former senate president Iyorcha Ayu came as the party’s National Working Committee, NWC sought to push forward the picture of unity and calm in the leadership.

At the end of a scheduled working committee meeting, the party’s top heriarchy passed a vote of confidence on the embattled national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who has come under pressure on account of his handling of the affairs of the party.

The confidence vote nonetheless, Tukur came under further pressure yesterday when a group, Mass Mobilisation for Transformation, MMT, sympathetic to President Goodluck Jonathan, urged Tukur to resign, saying his continued stewardship of the party had become a dangerous omen for the 2015 election hopes of the president.

The delegation of the PDP BoT, led by Chief Anenih, met with PDP chieftains, Governor Gabriel Suswam and some aggrieved chieftains at the Makurdi residence of Senator Ayu.

Ayu had left the party for Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, a few years ago, but quietly returned to the party months back.

At the meeting, Anenih called on all those who left the party with Ayu to return, saying the party was determined to have a true reconciliation with all aggrieved chieftains.

One of the founding members of PDP, Abu Shuluwa, who had lately been expressing misgivings on the direction of the party, was one of those present.

Anenih called on aggrieved members to sheathe their swords and accept his genuine efforts, which he said were aimed at repositioning the party for the challenges ahead.

A source present at the closed meeting quoted Anenih as saying “this visit to Benue State is part of the reconciliation efforts of the board to usher in an era of peace and sustainable progress in our party.

“I urge all those who left the party to come back in the spirit of true reconciliation because we are determined to ensure that all our differences are truly resolved.”

Without directly referring to Suswam, Anenih was said to have stressed that the BoT was determined to ensure that the party’s governors remain within the fold.

At the briefing were the National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur; Deputy National Chairman, Sam Sam Jaja; Acting National Secretary, Solomon Onwe; National Organising Secretary, Abubakar Mustapha; National Treasurer, Bala Kao’je; National Financial Secretary, Elder Bolaji Anani; National Auditor, Adewale Adeyanju; National Woman Leader, Kema Chikwe; National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon; and national youth leaders of the party.

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