Peoples Democratic Party,PDP,
yesterday, rebuffed insinuations of a
fresh division in the ranks of its
governors, describing as grossly untrue
reports that two of its governors
walked out on the national chairman
during a stakeholders meeting in Port-
Harcourt, weekend.
The party’s claim came as the two
governors, Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta
State and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State,
besides denying the reports, pledged
loyalty and commitment to the Bamanga
Tukur-led national executive of the
party. Amaechi specifically faulted
mischief makers for initiating the reports.
Ameachi, who refuted the allegation
while fielding questions from newsmen at
the end of the 2013 Founders’ Day
Lecture at the Nigerian Institute of
Advanced Legal Studies, NAILS, in Abuja
yesterday, said there was no truth that
he stormed out of the meeting alongside
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.
Visibly angered by the accusation,
Ameachi said: “Didn’t you also read that I
didn’t walk away? That story was pure
mischief.
“What really happened was that my
colleague was leaving to travel back and
I had not had lunch. So I had to follow him
and somebody went and wrote that I
walked away. I didn’t walk away.”
Delta State Commissioner for
Information, Mr. Chike Ogeah, in a
statement denying the report of the
alleged walk-out said: “Governor
Uduaghan is a leader that has
distinguished himself in the exercise of
democratic principles and will never
engage in acts that do not bind or unite.”
PDP, in a statement by its National
Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh,
said the party held a successful
stakeholders meeting in Port-Harcourt
for members from the South-South zone
as it has held in three other zones.
Asserting that the meeting in Port-
Harcourt was devoid of rancour, he said:
“No governor walked out of the meeting.
Governor Uduaghan had an appointment
to keep and duly informed the National
Chairman who gave him permission to
leave.
“Governor Chibuike Amaechi just
escorted him and he also took permission
from the National Chairman. Nobody is
above the party and it is totally untrue
that they walked out. Our governors are
cultured and decent and, therefore,
cannot engage in unruly acts.
“The issue of hunger and Mr. Biggs was
actually a play of words by Governor
Uduaghan and Governor Akpabio, who
added humor to showcase the
leadership appreciation of sacrifices of
those who attended.”
Defending the N1 million donation made by
the Akwa Ibom governor to each state
chapter of the party at the meeting, PDP
said: “The cost of the venue and other
logistics were handled by the host
governor and Governor Akpabio showed
his commitment to party faithful by
assisting them with transport allowance
as well as assisting them with some
welfare.
“Politics all over the world is expensive
and any gesture towards
accommodating the sacrifices of the
ordinary PDP faithful is important.”
Mr. Ogeah, in his own reb*ttal of the
assertions of a walk-out by governors
Uduaghan and Rotimi Amaechi, said: “On
arrival in Port Harcourt, Dr. Uduaghan
had informed Alhaji Tukur of his desire to
return to Asaba same day.
“Given that Asaba Airport closes to
traffic by 5pm, the governor had sought
the permission of Tukur to leave
whenever it gets to the threshold of
arriving at the Airport ahead of its
closure.
“Tukur had graciously agreed to let
Governor Uduaghan leave to enable him
return to Asaba on time. When eventually
it was time to leave for the return flight
to Asaba, Uduaghan again notified the
chairman who wished him a safe flight.
Governor Amaechi, as the host governor,
had to see Uduaghan off.”
Meanwhile, Tukur yesterday urged
governors in the north-east zone to
ensure that all broken relationships
within the party are restored ahead of
the 2015 general election.
Speaking yesterday at the PDP North-
East stakeholders meeting in Bauchi,
Tukur said his decision to tour all the
zones of the party within the country
was to rebuild and address challenges
against the background of the threats
from opposition parties.
He said: “Our great party has got what
we call the triple “R” which means,
reconciliation without confrontation,
reformation without revenge and
rebuilding the party based on equity and
fairness and no imposition.
“Our party is respected because our
manifesto and constitution delivers the
dividends of democracy to the people.”
In separate remarks, governors Isa
Yuguda of Bauchi State and Ibrahim
Dankwambo of Gombe State urged PDP
members to embrace one another
irrespective of political differences,
saying under Tukur, PDP had opened its
door for members to express their
differences.
Others present at the meeting were the
Deputy Governor of Taraba State, Alhaji
Umaru Garba; Deputy Governor of
Adamawa State, Mr. Bala Nginare;
Senators Abdul Ningi, Babayo Gamawa,
Adamu Gumba. [Vanguard]
www.informationng.com/2013/03/pdp-defends-akpabios-n1m-gift-says-politics-all-over-the-world-is-expensive.html