YOU CAN'T BURY PDP, PRESIDENCY FIRES BACK

The Presidency, yesterday, dismissed as empty boast the threat by five Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, governors to bury the party, if they are unable to resolve the crisis in the party.
The five Northern governors - Sule Lamido, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Aliyu Wamakko, Mua'zu
Babangida Aliyu and Murtala Nyako - who have been meeting with political stakeholders in the
country, had threatened on Monday to help bury the PDP if their efforts to solve its problems
flopped.
Although Nyako was not present at the meeting with Generals Ibrahim Babangida and
Abdulsalami Abubakar, he immediately released a statement aligning position with the four other
governors, saying that it was time something was done to salvage the party or bury it.
The governor, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Sajoh Ahmed, noted: "We have held
consultations with former heads of state on the need for them and other major stakeholders to
save the party from dying.
"We will continue to make our efforts to save the party. But if our efforts do not work, we have no
alternative than to fold our arms, and see PDP die and help in burying it."
But firing back at the governors, Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Political
Matters, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, said the five governors were incapable of bringing down the PDP.
Gulak, who also accused the governors of trying to force out President Jonathan, said, however,
that they would fail, as their agenda was not in the interest of the generality of Nigerians.
The Presidential aide also said that all those working with the five governors would also fail in
their selfish bid to unseat Jonathan because Nigerians were wiser than all of them.
The political adviser said: "They (the governors) cannot bury PDP, as the party is above them.
"Their agenda is not to bury PDP but to get President Goodluck Jonathan out but they will
certainly fail. I can assure you that all those in that group and sharing their agenda will also fail
woefully, as Nigerians are wiser," the Presidential adviser said.
The governors, who had earlier met with Governor Rotimi Amaechi in Port Harcourt last week,
during which they narrowly escaped being injured by irate political demonstrators, later moved
to the country home of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and had a
lengthy discussion with him.
Although their meeting with Obasanjo coincided with that of President Jonathan, who came out
to say that he visited the former leader as part of his condolence visit to his media aide, Reuben
Abati, over the demise of his mother, the details of what the four governors discussed with
Obasanjo have not been made public barely a week after.