Leaders of the New Peoples Democratic Party (NPDP) claimed last night that the police attempted to stop their meeting in Abuja.
The New PDP leaders were meeting with the G-7 governors, senators and members of the House of Representatives belonging to the group.
But the police denied storming the meeting.
A senior officer said: “We went there to ensure everything was in order as part of our routine surveillance of Asokoro. We do that everyday. We did not storm any place. There’s no way we would arrest governors.”
The policemen came in three cars to the Kano State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro District, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
But the policemen from Asokoro Division failed to stop the meeting. The venue was shut.
The meeting, which started at about 5.30pm, ended at 9.30pm.
The Divisional Police Officer, CSP Nnanna Ama, led the policemen.
Wearing a T-Shirt with Igbo Day inscription, the police chief left when he and his men could not enter the Lodge.
The policemen returned at about 8.30pm, but they could still not enter the venue.
The governors, however, invited the DPO into their meeting, The Nation learnt.
The leaders reviewed the crisis in the PDP.
They succeeded in holding two sessions, the first with senators and members of the House of Representatives and the other with governors and top leaders of the New PDP.
Those at the session were Governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).
Also at the meeting were ex-governors Bukola Saraki, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Abdullahi Adamu, Timpre Sylvia, and Segun Oni.
House of Representatives member Zakari Mohammed, a former National Youth Leader of PDP, Dr. Bibi Farouk and many others were there.
GovernorsAliyu Wammako of Sokoto and Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State were not at the meeting because of “urgent state matters”. They sent their apologies.
Others were Kawu Baraje, Deputy Chairman Sam Sam Jaja; National Secretary Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Vice-Chairman, Northwest, Ibrahim Kazuare.
Speaking with reporters after the meeting Aliyu and Kwankwaso condemned the “invasion”.
Oyinlola said: “We were holding our meeting with the governors when the DPO of Asokoro came in to say that he had instructions to disperse us from holding meeting or else effect our arrest.
“ We were surprised that in spite of the fact that the consultations on the resolution of the PDP crisis had been put on hold as a result of the pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Mecca. And it was made known to all Nigerians that we will continue after the pilgrimage break. It is for the continuation of the reconciliation process that we were meeting here only for the DPO to come.
“And we said ‘okay’ if you had instructions that we should not hold the meeting, we were ready to be arrested. We felt that this is the height of impunity for a DPO to have the guts to tell a group of governors to say we cannot meet. I think it was not as bad as this even during the military era.
“We told him that we were ready for arrest and he should go and bring his troops to effect the arrest. So, we continued the meeting and we finished our meeting.”
Asked of the outcome of the meeting, Oyinlola added: “The resolution was that we should continue the meeting that was postponed with the President. That was the essence of this meeting.
Pressed to say if the session discussed the likely defection of the PDP governors to another party, he replied: “ We have not come to that.”
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the Baraje faction, Chief Ezendu Chukwuemeka Eze, also explained what transpired.
The statement said: “The Caucus of the New Peoples Democratic Party (New PDP) met this evening, Sunday, on 3rd November, 2013, at the Kano State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, to review progress reports, accept the reports of committees and take important decisions on the future of the movement. The Caucus comprises the G7 governors, former governors, present and past senators, past and present members of the House of Representatives, National Working Committee (NWC) members and some elders and stakeholders of the party.
“Sadly, midway into the meeting, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) incharge of Asokoro Police Unit, CSP Nnanna Ama, burst into the scene and ordered the meeting stopped, threatening to mobilise troops to abort it if his order was not obeyed.
“According to CSP Ama, he has the directive from the Villa to arrest the governors, if the meeting was not stopped. For a DPO to be sent not only to disrupt a meeting of governors duly elected by Nigerians but to arrest them if they failed to heed his counsel is a sign that these people can decide to disrupt the association of any group of Nigerians at any time knowing that such an act is a breach of the Constitution of our country.
“Not minding all our past complaints about the impunity and disregard of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by our Security organs and it is saddening that the Federal Government has continued to maintain stoic silence and bluntly refused to call our security agencies to order. This, to us, is one of the wonders of the present administration in Nigeria. What is baffling to us the more is the continuous silence of our elders and past Heads of State on these various acts of impunity perpetuated by this administration, knowing the grave danger such acts will lead this country to. Let it not be assumed that we are the only one to suffer for this desperation and frustration by some of these misguided elements in this administration as they will go after other Nigerians, if they are not called to order on time.
“Though before the arrival of CSP Ama, the governors had gone very far in their deliberations as the meeting has considered the Mobilisation/Contact Committee’s recommendations on how to receive the five new Governors joining the group and directed the NWC of the party to set in motion a machinery to receive the new entrants. The NWC was also directed to critically examine the available options and recommend to the Caucus the platform to be used for the 2015 general elections.
“ The Caucus is to deliberate on this during its next meeting to be held immediately after the proposed peace talks with President Goodluck Jonathan. The options to be considered include either to remain in PDP or adopt any of the three other options, namely, accept the proposal of APC or join PDM, VOA or form a new political party.
“The Caucus also noted the majority request that seeing that we have majority of our members in the National Assembly and majority of the governors, the idea of continuous waiting for the meeting with Mr. President before deciding our future is no longer ideal, in view of the lukewarm attitude of Mr. President and his lieutenants in restoring peace to the party and refusal to attend to most of our demands. The Caucus decided that we should give the President some weeks grace before finally deciding on our next line of action.
“The Caucus also expressed total displeasure at the lack of reasonable effort to sort out the lingering ASUU/FG face-off, which has kept our children at home for over four months. It counselled the Federal Government to urgently arrest this ugly incident by declaring a state of emergency in the education sector to enable the government meet up with the demands of ASUU.”
