The possibility of losing the forthcoming 2015 presidential election is gradually dawning on President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
In order to avoid this, the President and the national leadership of the party have lined up series of meetings aimed at placating aggrieved members of the party across the country.
One of such meetings was the one the President and the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mua’zu held with the former Governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Kalu, at the presidential villa on Tuesday night.
The meeting, it was learnt, was aimed at dissuading Kalu and his supporters from defecting from the ruling party to the opposition.
Kalu, who was a former presidential candidate of the Progressive Peoples Alliance, was a senatorial aspirant in the ruling party but was denied the opportunity of taking part in the primary.
Rather than being dissuaded from his ambition, Kalu was said to have vowed that he would move to another party where he and his supporters would pursue their ambitions.
But because of the cacophony of voices coming from different states after the PDP primaries, the Presidency and the national leadership of the party were said to have decided that there was the need to have fence-mending meetings with aggrieved members of the party.
At the meeting with Kalu, President Jonathan and Mu’azu were said to have asked how to find a lasting solution to the intractable crisis in Abia State chapter of the party.
At the meeting, apart from President Jonathan, Mu’azu and Kalu, was a former Taraba State Governor, Rev. Jolly Nyame.
“They were sighted in a black jeep, driving into the Presidential Villa, using the President’s private entrance,” a presidential aide, who was at the meeting told our correspondent.
Also at the president’s waiting room at the time these men got there were the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha and House Majority Leader, Mulikat Akande.
The presidential aide, who was at the meeting said, “It (the meeting) lasted for over an hour ; it was all about genuine reconciliation and how to move the party forward.
“Mr. President said emphatically that Kalu is an asset to PDP and everything must be done to encourage him to stay in the party.
“The party is working to ensure reconciliation with its aggrieved chieftains, not only in Abia State, but nationwide. We don’t want them to leave the party.”
Kalu, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, confirmed that the meeting was held, but refused to disclose its details.
Kalu said, “It was a private meeting between me and Mr. President and I am satisfied with what the President said.” Punch
