SAN FRANCISCO, September 02, (THEWILL) – As the peace parley to resolve the crack in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continues on Tuesday, THEWILL gathered on Monday that the aggrieved governors have asked President Goodluck Jonathan to stop the ongoing probe of their colleagues in some states by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) as a condition for peace.
Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak, had earlier stated that some of the conditions being given by the aggrieved governors were impossible.
THEWILL had previously reported that four of the seven rebel governors, namely Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), had met with President Jonathan Sunday night after some governors and the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar stormed out of the Saturday special national convention in Abuja to declare a break-away faction of the party.
Impeccable sources at the meeting told THEWILL that the rebel governors led by Kwankwaso, requested that the EFCC probe and harassment of state governments should be stopped.
Kwakwanso, who was said to have opened the flood gate of complaints at the meeting, according to THEWILL sources, complained bitterly that the EFCC had become a pain the neck for the state governors as he was said to have called on the president to prevail on the anti-graft body to stop its probe and harassment of governors.
He was said to have also complained that the commission was harassing the son of the governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, who is also a chieftain of the G7 governors.
He therefore demanded that as PDP governors, they should be protected from EFCC harassment, saying members of the ruling party should not be exposed to EFCC probe.
Kwara Governor, Ahmed, also seconded Kwankwanso, as he allegedly raised the issues of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), PDP structure and Rivers crisis as some of their grouses.
“EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) should stop investigating governors, especially PDP governors,” the governor told the President, alleging that he has been facing EFCC probe since he served as Finance Commissioner in the cabinet of former governor Bukola Saraki, lamenting that there is an atmosphere of fear in his state over the activities of EFCC.
He further said as a PDP governor, the Federal Government should not only protect him but also protect his predecessor, Saraki, who is already being investigated by the EFCC.
Other governors who spoke at the meeting, the sources disclosed included Plateau State governor and chairman of a faction of the NGF, Jonah David Jang: Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio and the Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam.
The peace meeting between the president and all rebel governors of the party continues on Tuesday at the presidential villa.
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