Jonathan meets service chiefs, PDP governors

President Goodluck Jonathan held separate meetings with service chiefs and governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the presidential villa in Abuja on Wednesday.

While the service chiefs refused to brief reporters at the end of their meeting, the governors said they came to solidarise with the president, who just lost his re-election bid.

Godswill Akpabio, governor of Akwa Ibom state and chairman of the PDP governors’ forum, said Jonathan decided to sacrifice his ambition in the interest of the nation.

“We came to meet with the president because you know he is a man of peace,” he said.

“He just decided to sacrifice for peace to reign.  I’m sure you are aware that there are issues with Saturday’s election. From underage voters to failed card readers to disparity between figures in some states and taking of ballot papers to government house, particularly in certain parts of the country.

“But he looked at all these and decided to let go because he wants to ensure peace, unity and the stability of our country.”

The PDP is currently facing perhaps the biggest challenge in its 16 years of existence.

Five governors of the party lost their bid to secure seats in the senate and many of its members in the upper and lower chambers of the national assembly lost Saturday’s parliamentary election to members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

APC has secured 64 seats in the senate, meaning that the PDP which has been the dominant party in the chamber since 1999 would lose principal positions when the fifth senate of the fourth assembly convenes in June.

The mood in the villa has been quiet of late.

The federal executive council meeting, which usually holds on Wednesday was suspended, as Jonathan was busy attending to other issues.

Alex Badeh, chief of defence staff; Kenneth Minimah, chief of army staff; Usman Jibrin, chief of naval staff and Adesola Amosu, chief of air staff, were the security personnel who met with Jonathan.

While Godswill Akpabio, (Akwa Ibom); Jonah Jang, (Plateau);  Seriake Dickson, (Bayelsa); Liyel Imoke, (Cross Rivers) held another meting with him.

Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta); Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe); Ramalan Yero (Kaduna); Sullivan Chime (Enugu); Martin Elechi (Eboyin) and Idris Wada (Kogi), were also not left out.

Absentees were Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Isa Yuguda (Bauchi); Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Gabriel Suswam (Benue); Ibrahim Shema (Katsina); Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo); and Ayo Fayose (Ekiti).