SAN FRANCISCO, September 06, (THEWILL) – Former Information Minister and foremost Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark;former Senate President, Senator Ameh Ebute; former Minister of Police Affairs, General David Jemibewon; and former Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), General Ibrahim Haruna, have been âsked to stop attacking the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih and his efforts at resolving the crisis rocking the party.
A member of the Nigerian Senators’ Forum, Senator Yisafo Braimoh, made the call on Friday , saying “while the position taken by Chief Tony Anenih as Chairman of the BoT of the PDP is statesmanlike and helpful to the process of finding solutions to the crisis, the attitude of Chief Edwin Clark and his friends in the Congress for Equality only helps to worsen the crisis.”
It would be recalled that Clark and the trio of Ebute, Jemibewon and Haruna had, under the aegis of Congress for Equality, attacked Anenih for admitting that some of the aggrieved PDP governors had genuine grievances, which would be addressed to enable the party come out stronger from the “minor” crisis.
They had declared in a statement at the end of their meeting in Abuja on Thursday that: “Chief Tony Anenih should distance himself from the demands of these so-called ‘aggrieved governors’ and join Tukur to work for the party in truth and spirit.”
But in a statement issued in Abuja, Senator Braimoh, who represented Edo North Senatorial District from 2007 to 2011 on the PDP platform,advised the Ijaw leàder and his co-travellers to rather emulate Anenih.
“It is sardonic that while elders of the PDP should spare no effort to put an end to the lingering crisis threatening our party, Chief Clark and his friends who should be voices of moderation are the ones stoking the fire and choosing to be part of the problem rather than the solution.
“It is, indeed, pathetically sad that they are unconscionably widening the gulf between contending parties.
“They should have known, if they were not being mischievous, that as chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Anenih is expected to play the role of an impartial arbiter, which does not admit of dissembling.
“This is what he has appropriately done in the circumstance. His attitude does not detract from his commitment to the unity of the party and the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
“Chief Edwin Clark and his friends should know that they are not helping President Jonathan by taking positions that are capable of worsening the crisis, especially when the Presidency and the PDP leadership have initiated peace talks with the aggrieved governors,” Senator Braimoh said.
According to Braimoh, “It is patently fraudulent for Chief Clark and co. to present the correct position by Chief Anenih at promoting efforts at reconciliation as tantamount to identifying with the aggrieved governors. This type of shenanigans should not be the stock in trade of people who are supposed to be elder statesmen.”
He recalled that Anenih had, before now, in his speeches at the South-south PDP leaders meeting in Asaba on May 12 and the PDP dinner in the Presidential Villa on May 30, spoken about some of the findings of BoT delegation to state governors on the platform of the party, one of which was the fact that some governors had complaints against the leadership of the party, just as the party had complaints against some of them.
“Permit me to quote Anenih’s exact statements in Asaba which were also repeated in Abuja: ‘It is true that some Governors have complaints against the leadership of the party; however, such complaints are not sufficient to warrant any rebellion as speculated.
“There have also been some complaints against the Governors. In any case, the problems raised are not insurmountable as, indeed, they are already being addressed by the leadership of the Party.
“So, why are Clark and his friends trying to make political capital out of a non-issue? Nobody faulted the honest appraisal then.Why are they trying to ridicule themselves by trying to make an issue out of a non-issue?” he asked.
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