PDP Crisis Update: Jonathan's Loyalist Seriake Dickson to Head Reconciliation Committee

                      Nigeria’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said it is willing to resolve the various crises bedevilling it, including the one that has pitched some governors elected on the party’s platform against the party and the presidency. To resolve the crisis, the party has picked a loyalist of President Goodluck Jonathan and governor of the president’s home state of Bayelsa, Seriake Dickson, to head a committee.

The National Working Committee, NWC, of the PDP on Monday set up a national reconciliation committee headed by Mr. Dickson to, according to the party, harmonise all interests and achieve genuine reconciliation across board.

A statement from PDP’s spokesperson, Tony Okeke, said the setting up of the committee is to ensure comprehensive reconciliation among members and interests in the party.

The Deputy Chairman of the Committee is Asheik Jarma, while other members include I. A. Obuzor, Salisu Suleiman, Walid Jibrin, Hope Uzodinma, Bello Matawalle and Niyi Fadimula.

Others are Jerome Eke, Chris Marizu, Tijjani Kiyawa, Christy Silas, Jangwe Yusuf and Ngozi Olejeme, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Onyema Ugochukwu, Yakubu Shehu, Mohammed Kuchazi, Adedeji Olarenwaju, Dapo Sarumi, Arthur Eze, and Emma Iwuagwu.

A former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, was also appointed as member; alongside Umar Gada, Dosun Fatokun, Harold Eze, Fati Sabo, Wakili Mohammed and Shitu Mohammed.

Umar Damagun was named as the secretary of the committee.

The statement added that the committee would be inaugurated by the National Chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur, at the National Secretariat of the party on August 25 by 12 noon.

The ruling party is bedevilled by crisis in several states including Mr. Tukur’s Adamawa. There have also been reports that some state governors, elected on the party’s platform, are set to dump the party. Four Northern governors elected on the party’s platform had a secret meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday, few hours after Mr. Jonathan met with the former president in Abeokuta.

Though details of both meetings were not stated by the participants, there have been reports that the governors may have decided to ditch the PDP to form their own party. Some of the governors involved are those opposed to Mr. Jonathan’s re-election with one, Sule Lamido of Jigawa, believed to be Mr. Obasanjo’s anointed candidate for the 2015 presidency.

The former president has never hidden his preference for Mr. Lamido. He boycotted the current president’s widely publicised mid-term report presentation on May 29 to attend a function organised by Mr. Lamido in Jigawa.

It is not clear if the disgruntled governors’ would accept the mediation of Mr. Dickson and his team. Mr. Dickson, a known loyalist of Mr. Jonathan, supported Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum while the disgruntled governors all supported Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers. Mr. Amaechi has since been suspended by the PDP and is having a running battle with the presidency and the ruling party.