A mild political drama played itself out Sunday night at Nigeria’s Presidential Villa at the troubleshooting parley to simmer the escalating crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party.
At the hurriedly arranged meeting on the instance of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State rejected the request of President Goodluck Jonathan to stand beside him as Tony Anenih, the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the People’s Democratic Party, read a communiqué at the end of their “peace” meeting.
Mr. Kwankwaso was the spokesman of a group of aggrived PDP governors who stormed out the min convention of the ruling party Saturday to form a splinter group.
At the end of the peace meeting, which was attended by 16 governors, Mr. Anenih was mandated to speak with reporters as Mr. Jonathan and his deputy, Namadi Sambo, were reduced to spectators.
A presidential source said that President Jonathan had beckoned on Kwankwaso to stand beside him, but the Kano State governor refused. “When Mr. President beckoned to Alhaji Kwankwaso to stand by his side as Chief Anenih read out the communiqué, the governor raised his finger and shook it several times. He then headed to the side of Chief Anenih,” said the source. He added that Mr. Jonathan, though clearly miffed, flashed a pained smile.