The dinner was held on Sunday in Abuja.
All the seven governors who walked out of last weeks Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Special National Convention at the Eagles Square Abuja were absent on Sunday at the party’s post convention dinner which held at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.
President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo and other Bamanga Tukur-led PDP leaders attended the dinner.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported on Friday that the dissident governors and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar were invited to the dinner despite their walking out of the convention venue and setting up a parallel PDP faction.
A source at the PDP secretariat had informed PREMIUM TIMES that invitations to the event were extended to the governors as part of the ongoing reconciliation efforts.
Thr PDP crisis had worsened on Saturday as policemen sealed off the secretariat of the ‘new PDP’ in Abuja; while security details of some of their officials including that of the faction’s national chairman, Abubakar Baraje, were also withdrawn.
When contacted, Atiku Abubakar’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said the former vice president travelled to China. He could not confirm if the former vice president was invited to the dinner, saying such “invitations are usually sent to his residence”.
Also, despite the fact that a cultural troupe from Niger State entertained the gathering, a source close to Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger said over the phone that the governor did not attend the event because he was not invited.
The spokesperson of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES phone calls and text message inquiry on whether the governors were invited or not.
However the 16 governors loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan and embattled PDP Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, were present; although some like Gabriel Suswam of Benue were represented by their deputies.
Also, former Nigerian leaders, Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida, who tried to broker some sort of truce between the two PDP factions, did not attend the dinner.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported how Mr. Jonathan had in a private meeting blamed Mr. Obasanjo for the PDP crisis. Mr. Obasanjo has since publicly, along with other PDP elders, made efforts to resolve the disputes between the two PDP factions.
Source: Premium Times
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