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The meeting of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Board of Trustees (BOT) scheduled to hold yesterday was indefinitely suspended due to a serious battle for the control of the soul of the party between the different interest groups within the party.
Reports coming from the party national secretariat in Abuja suggested that the recent disagreement is between the former President Olusegun Obasanjo who is the chairman of the BOT and the National Working Committee (NWC) members.
Obasanjo, it was learnt had fixed the advisory body's meeting for yesterday night without informing the NWC. The NWC took the case to the Presidency where they allegedly got a directive to cancel it.
The National Secretary of the party Abubakar Baraje then cancelled the meeting and apologized to members for the inconveniences caused.
A source said that at the time of cancellation, Obasanjo was already on his way to Abuja to attend the meeting.
When the former president arrived the capital city and was informed of the development, he rushed to the State House for an unscheduled meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan.
He was however, unable to see Jonathan because the president was attending a meeting of the Presidential Project Assessment Committee (PPAC).
Obasanjo, who came to the villa in company with a member of the BOT and the Senate President David Mark, looked disappointed as he left.
The three-page statement signed by Baraje, stated that: “This is to inform all concerned that the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) earlier scheduled for Monday, 24th May 2010 has been postponed.
“A new date shall be communicated to all members in due course. The PDP regrets the inconvenience caused to members of the BOT by this postponement and look forward to welcoming them as soon as the new date is announced.”
Since the resignation of the former National Chairman of the party Chief Vincent Ogbulafor over corruption allegations, there has been a lot of politicking in the bid to get a replacement.
An indication of the frosty relation between the former president and the NWC emerged last week when most of Obasanjo's known loyalists attended the meeting of the reform group which called for the immediate dissolution of the NWC, following Ogbulafor’s exit.
The NWC quickly reacted and called the reform group an irresponsible bunch that must be disregarded.
The BOT meeting for yesterday was scheduled to take a position on Ogbulafor's successor as well as pick a fresh secretary as its former scribe and former Governor of Nassarawa State Abdullahi Adamu resigned his position last week.
Obasanjo is known to be backing former national vice-president of the party Fidelis Ozichukwu, while the governors and the National Assembly are in favour of former National Secretary and former Governor of Enugu State Dr, Okwesilieze Nwodo and former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim respectively.
The meeting of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Board of Trustees (BOT) scheduled to hold yesterday was indefinitely suspended due to a serious battle for the control of the soul of the party between the different interest groups within the party.
Reports coming from the party national secretariat in Abuja suggested that the recent disagreement is between the former President Olusegun Obasanjo who is the chairman of the BOT and the National Working Committee (NWC) members.
Obasanjo, it was learnt had fixed the advisory body's meeting for yesterday night without informing the NWC. The NWC took the case to the Presidency where they allegedly got a directive to cancel it.
The National Secretary of the party Abubakar Baraje then cancelled the meeting and apologized to members for the inconveniences caused.
A source said that at the time of cancellation, Obasanjo was already on his way to Abuja to attend the meeting.
When the former president arrived the capital city and was informed of the development, he rushed to the State House for an unscheduled meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan.
He was however, unable to see Jonathan because the president was attending a meeting of the Presidential Project Assessment Committee (PPAC).
Obasanjo, who came to the villa in company with a member of the BOT and the Senate President David Mark, looked disappointed as he left.
The three-page statement signed by Baraje, stated that: “This is to inform all concerned that the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) earlier scheduled for Monday, 24th May 2010 has been postponed.
“A new date shall be communicated to all members in due course. The PDP regrets the inconvenience caused to members of the BOT by this postponement and look forward to welcoming them as soon as the new date is announced.”
Since the resignation of the former National Chairman of the party Chief Vincent Ogbulafor over corruption allegations, there has been a lot of politicking in the bid to get a replacement.
An indication of the frosty relation between the former president and the NWC emerged last week when most of Obasanjo's known loyalists attended the meeting of the reform group which called for the immediate dissolution of the NWC, following Ogbulafor’s exit.
The NWC quickly reacted and called the reform group an irresponsible bunch that must be disregarded.
The BOT meeting for yesterday was scheduled to take a position on Ogbulafor's successor as well as pick a fresh secretary as its former scribe and former Governor of Nassarawa State Abdullahi Adamu resigned his position last week.
Obasanjo is known to be backing former national vice-president of the party Fidelis Ozichukwu, while the governors and the National Assembly are in favour of former National Secretary and former Governor of Enugu State Dr, Okwesilieze Nwodo and former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim respectively.
