Jonathan to meet Mark, Tambuwal ahead October 7 meeting with G-7 govs

President Jonathan is expected to meet with the leadership of the National Assembly to woo them to his side in the ongoing squabbles rocking the PDP.

A source told LEADERSHIP that the president’s meeting with the NASS leadership will take place ahead of the October 7 reconciliatory meeting.

Lately, new PDP loyalists have been claiming that the presidency was itching to impeach the duo of the president of the Senate, David Mark, and Tambuwal. This is even as foot soldiers of the presidency in the National Assembly have also been pointing fingers at the new PDP over alleged plots against President Jonathan.

Speaking under anonymity, a reliable presidency source disclosed at the weekend that the president had resolved to meet with Mark and Tambuwal in order to explain his view on the PDP crisis with a view to wooing them to his side.

South-west chapter in crisis over ministerial slots

The PDP has, again, been thrown into another round of crisis in the south-west. This time round, the thrust of the crisis is the replacements for the ministerial positions vacated by Ambassador Gbenga Ashiru and Erelu Olusola Obada.

Prominent chieftains of the party in the region shunned a stakeholders’ meeting summoned by the leader of the party in the state and former deputy national chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George.

The slot, believed to be for the entire south-west, has been the subject of disagreement within the party since Jonathan reportedly told the PDP leadership to nominate names for appointment as minister to replace the nine cabinet members he recently sacked.

It was learnt that while Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states have forwarded the names of one nominee each for the vacant slot, three names were forwarded from Lagos State.

But the names forwarded from Lagos were alleged to have been rejected by the national leadership of the party following protests from prominent leaders that Bode George did not consult any of them in arriving at the names sent.

Bode George had convened a stakeholders’ forum. The meeting was held last Sunday at his Lugard Avenue, Ikoyi, home. But nearly all the notable party chieftains expected at the meeting chose to stay away.

Prominent among party leaders who shunned the parley are Dr Abayomi Finnih, Chief (Mrs) Modupe Sasore, Chief Remi Adiukwu Bakare, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, Chief Deji Doherty, Ambassador Musiliu Obanikoro, Chief Rasheed Williams, amongst others.