The former PDP governors and candidates who met yesterday at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja under the aegis of G13 Candidates/Former PDP Governors Forum from 3.30pm to 6.30pm, unveiled the Goodluck to Goodluck project, arguing that the draw backs of past governments cannot be ascribed to the Jonathan/Sambo administration.

Speaking after the meeting, the convener of the forum and former governorship candidate of PDP in EdoState, Major Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (rtd) urged all  well-meaning PDP members to embrace peace and return to the mainstream of the party under the leadership of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

He said: “The constitution provides for eight years for the office and I believe that going by natural justice, if there is a tenant in a house and it is going for sale the first opportunity of refusal should go to the occupant. And I believe that based on the midterm report of the president, we believe that he should be given a second term in office to finish his projects. President Jonathan has the right. It has not been published anywhere that he signed an agreement to run for one term. He should be given support and peaceful environment to implement his projects to completion.”

Speaking on the crisis in PDP and the Abubakar Kawu Baraje led nPDP,

Airhiavbere said: “We studied the political impasse, horse trading and war of attrition and belligerence in recent times within and outside the context of our great party, PDP. The intra party conflict classified as family affair must be resolved within the party conflict resolution mechanism of the PDP Round Table Dialogue Initiative, put in place for the reconciliation and all well meaning PDP members should embrace peace and avail themselves of the opportunity given to return back to the mainstream under the leadership of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as one indivisible PDP.”

Also present at the meeting were  former ministers of Sports, Damishi Sango and Col Abdulmumuni Aminu; Fidelis Seri; former governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna; former deputy governor of Ogun state, Alhaji Salimot Badru; governorship candidate of PDP in Ondo State, Olusoka Oke; former Minister of Education, Alhaji Dauda Birmah; Col. John David Dongi (rtd); AIG Donald Iroha.Former deputy governor of Zamfara State, Umar Shinkafi who was not present at the meeting is also a member.

G7-Govs, Baraje’s visit to NASS confers no status on them – Abaribe

The Senate yesterday said that the visit of the seven ‘rebel’ Governors and the factional chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje to the Senate last week conferred no status on them.

Chairman, Senate committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe who stated this while briefing Journalists said as aggrieved members of the PDP, they were free to visit the Senate but that did not in any way confer any status on them.

Senator Abaribe said: “On the matter of the visit by the aggrieved members of PDP to the Senate leadership, let me also say that if some members of the Senate approached Mr. President of the Senate (Senator David Mark) and ask for a hearing or a visit by anybody, be it their constituents, friends or by anybody, if the Senate President has the time, then he is obligated or mandated to listen to his colleagues. My understanding was that a group of senators within the same PDP came to the Senate President and said that they wanted to meet with him with some other people and the Senate President graciously allowed them to come so that he would listen to them.

“That is the essence of democracy. We can agree to meet with anybody even those that we don’t want or we do not agree with their opinion. Because the essence of democracy is being able to allow people to make their views to be heard and I think that was what happened.

“That was why you saw that there was no problem within the Senate from such visit. As Nigerians, they are entitled to visit and as aggrieved members of the society in many form, they can come to the event with the Senate President and that does not in any way confer anything on them.

“Please, note the use of my words, I said aggrieved members of the PDP,  I am talking now not as a Senate spokesman but as a PDP member, we are one family,” he stated.