The governors are said to believe that the current decision of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to try the party‘s national chairman, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, over allegations of financial impropriety, is part of the plans to remove the national chairman.
Already, there are reports of efforts by pro-Jonathan PDP chieftains to scout for a replacement for Ogbulafor just in case the plans to send the current executive of the party packing sail through.
Since Ogbulafor made it clear to Jonathan that the party‘s zoning formula for the presidential position subsisted shortly after he was elevated to the position of an acting President, there had been a frosty relationship between him and Jonathan.
After a series of consultations, the acting President is believed to have resolved to give the presidential contest a shot, even amidst other reports that he plans to pair with another PDP candidate as a running mate.
Ogbulafor had said that even if Yar‘Adua failed to contest the 2011 election, the party would still shop for his replacement from the North, which he said should have an eight-year hold on the Presidency.
While three aspirants have declared their intention to contest the party‘s ticket publicly, at least three others are believed to be eyeing the ticket but are yet to say so publicly.
Those who have so far signified their intention are the National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau, Gombe State governor, Danjuma Goje, and former military president, Ibrahim Babangida. Those believed to be making moves to contest include Jonathan, Gov. Bukola Saraki of Kwara State and former Cross River governor, Mr. Donald Duke.
The NEC meeting had been postponed on two occasions with many anti-Jonathan elements within the party accusing the acting President of being behind the postponements.
A highly-placed source within the party revealed on Saturday that the governors were worried that Jonathan‘s bid to take over the machinery of the party was capable of decimating the PDP before the next general election.
The source, who pleaded anonymity, said 12 governors were mandated to discuss with the acting President shortly before his trip to the United States as part of the moves to calm frayed nerves within the leadership of the party.
The 12 governors, with two drawn from each of the six geo-political zones, were said to have asked Jonathan why he was encouraging the postponement of the party‘s NEC meeting.
To this question, Jonathan was said to have said that he had no hand in the development.
Also, the governors were said to have demanded from the acting President why two of his ministers held meetings with members of the PDP Reform Group, which has some notable members of the party as members.
The two ministers alleged to have attended meetings with the reform group include Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Josephine Anenih and the Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri.
Confronted with the allegation, Jonathan was said to have washed his hands off the alleged presence of the ministers at the said meeting.
To satisfy the governors and further prove his innocence, the source said he called his Chief of Staff, Chief Mike Ogiadohme, in the presence of the ministers and asked him to convey his disappointment to the said ministers over their presence at the meetings of the reform group, whose members include the former President of the Senate, Chief Ken Nnamani and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Masari.”
Also, the source said the governors asked Jonathan why he chose to appoint as members of the Executive Council of the Federation, those members of the party believed to have disagreements with their state governors.
The point was said to have been made before Jonathan that his action was a direct move to create more confusion as the appointments amounted to the empowering of those previously accused of creating divisions within their respective chapters of the party in the states.
Our correspondent learnt that governors resolved to confront Jonathan over his alleged role in the trial of Ogbulafor by the ICPC at this time.
”The point is that Jonathan cannot say he is not aware of the trial and the question to ask now is why is Ogbulafor being tried now for offences alleged to have been committed since 2001? Is the tenure of Obasanjo being probed or what? These are the questions to be asked and unless those questions are answered, there is no way Nigerians will not say that what is going on is a political trial,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the ranks of the National Working Committee of the party may have been broken as a source said some members on Friday raised the fear of the possibility of the deputy national chairman of the party, Alhaji Aliru Bello Mohammed, taking over from Ogbulafor should the move to remove him succeed.
Mohammed was believed to be loyal to Yar‘Adua. However, there are indications that the party‘s deputy national chairman may have shifted loyalty to Jonathan after it became obvious that Yar‘Adua would not seek another term in office.
Attempts to speak with Jonathan‘s Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Ima Niboro, were unsuccessful as calls to his telephone were not answered, while a text message to his line was not responded to.
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