By Henry Umoru
ABUJA- STRONG indications emerged yesterday that the meeting between Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu ended in deadlock, following the inability of both sides to reach an acceptable consensus.

The meeting which took place Wednesday night at the Asokoro residence of Muazu, was called primarily by the governors to express their displeasure over the stoppage of consensus endorsement of their candidates ahead of 2015 general elections and their own candidature by the National Working Committee, NWC.

At the meeting, it was gathered that the governors and the national chairman could not reach a consensus on the issue of endorsement, automatic tickets for the governors who were rounding off and warming up to come to the Senate, their preferred successors as well as automatic tickets for first term governors.

Following the deadlock nature of the meeting, the governors and Muazu would reconvene over the weekend as they could not continue yesterday because of the inauguration of Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State.

From the meeting, it appeared that the NWC was not ready to change its decision of insisting on primary elections and a level playing field for all which include both the governors, serving senators as well as new aspirants, an indication that governors who want to come to the Upper Chambers without going through the hurdles of primaries, may not have it easy.

This forms one of the issues annoying the governors that having endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s sole candidate ahead of the December 6 National Convention, they should equally enjoy same treatment.

According to the Source, the meeting which was earlier scheduled to take place at 3pm was delayed for some hours, just as the governors at the meeting confronted the National Chairman with the forthcoming primary elections for aspirants of the party as they were not happy with the decision of the NWC to announce the cancellation of all endorsements.

A source said ‘acceptable conditions’ for the out-going governors who seek the PDP ticket to go to the senate are likely to be given to them. They cannot have everything they want”

According to him, the party was worried that even though it was the wish of PDP that some of its ranking senators returned to the senate come 2015, the activities of some of the governors may have become ‘big constraints on the way of the party’s desire’.

The source said that a south-south governor (names withheld) and the senator representing his senatorial district openly confronted themselves before President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa last week over the ticket for the zone which was not well for the party, adding that there were pressures from the outgoing governors on Mu’azu and President Jonathan over the issue of automatic senatorial tickets for the two-term governors.

The NWC member who spoke to some Journalists on the development disclosed that the national leadership of the party had concluded plans to meet with the governors to reel some conditions, said, “The truth is that the pressure has always been there since the issue of the president’s endorsement was concluded at our last NEC meeting; it has taken a very dangerous dimension because our desire to strengthen our National Assembly, especially the senate so that the polity could benefit from their wealth of experience but the governors and their desire to all go to the senate is setting a big constraint on our desire for this.

“While we believe that the governors are our field commanders, we cannot say in the same breath that our senators are no more useful and should be discarded; so we have outlined some acceptable conditions that will guide both the governors and the senators, because especially the governors, they cannot have everything to themselves without consideration for others.

“We are going to tell them politely that if a governor wishes to go to the senate, fine, but such cannot be the one to anoint a successor, and if at all, let the senator any governor wishes to replace also take the governorship slot.”

It would be recalled that since the PDP announced the cancellation of all endowment by the Governors, Zonal and State leadership, strong indications emerged that a cold war looms between the outgoing Governors who want to “plant ” their successors as they leave office and the NWC and by extension as well as the Presidency.

According to PDP guidelines, Ward Congresss for 3 Ad- hoc Delegates is fixed for November 1; Appeals, November3; Local Government Area Congresess for National Delegates is November 8; Appeals if any is November 10.

The Governorship primary election is fixed for November 29; Senate isNovember 22; House of Representatives is fixed for November 19

It will be recalled that rising from its weekly meeting last week Thursday, the National Working Committee, NWC had warned all the governors, all the Zonal and state Chairmen to jettison such idea of having any anointed candidate ahead of the November 29 th Governorship Primary election when Gubernatorial candidates would emerge.

A statement signed on Thursday last week by PDP National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo read, “The National Working Committee (NWC) at its meeting today, Thursday, October 9, 2014 noted that some elected officers of our great Party at the state level have continued to engage in processes aimed at endorsing candidates for the 2015 general elections despite warnings from the national leadership that they, as unbiased umpires should not involved in such.

“The NWC strongly frowns at this development and issues this as a final warning to all elected party officials and chapters at all levels, and shall not hesitate to sanction such erring officers or chapters.

“The sanctity of our nomination processes must be protected at all times. We therefore wish to assure all party members that there shall be a level playing ground for all aspirants intending to participate in the nomination processes.

“Consequently, the NWC will not hesitate to protect any of our members who in any way stands to be shortchanged, cheated or victimized by such endorsements.

“The NWC charges all our members and supporters therefore to disregard all such endorsements as the PDP will conduct primaries to duly elect our flag bearers in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the constitution of our great party.”

It would be recalled that there have been reports of full and passive endorsement of candidates by the PDP governors, like Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State had announced the endorsement of Senate President David Mark for a fifth time in the Senate, just as Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma- Egba representing Cross River Central was at a rally in Ikom endorsed to return to the Senate for a fourth time.

Of the present nineteen PDP governor, those who are not rounding off their various tenure in office and want to come back for second term are governors Murktar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State; the Acting Governor of Taraba State, Garba Umar; Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe; Henry Seriake-Dickson of Bayelsa; Capt. Idris Wada, the Present Adamawa State governor, Bala James Ngilari, among others.

Besides Governors Sule Lamido of Jigawa; other governors of PDP who are outgoing have got the machinery of the party and some persons in their states to anoint them for the Senate. They are Governors Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom; Gabriel Suswam of Benue; Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta; Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi; Theodore Orji of Abia; Sullivan Chime of Enugu; Ibrahim Shema of Katsina; Isa Yuguda of Bauchi; Jonah Jang of Plateau and Babangida Aliyu of Niger.

It would also be recalled that as these governors plan to move from their various government Houses to the Senate, they already have their anointed sons to take over from them. Like in Enugu State, member, representing Udenu/ Igboeze- North in the Federal House of Representatives and Chairman, House Committee on Marine Transport, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has been endorsed by governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State as his possible successor.

In Akwa Ibom State, governor Godswill Akpabio is said to have settled for the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, while Martins Elechi of Ebonyi State has endorsed the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, in Delta State, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is said to be backing Anthony Chucks Obuh; the Minister of State, Education, Nyesom Wike is being looked at by the Rivers State chapter of PDP and in Bauchi, governor Yuguda may not have made up his mind on who should be between the former PDP Acting National Secretary and Chairman, Governing Board of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, (TETFUND), Dr. Musa Babayo and former Minister of State, Health, Dr. Muhammed Ali Pate.