The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the peace process initiated by President Goodluck Jonathan to bring the Baraje-led splinter group of the party back to its fold, is on course.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Olisa Metuh, made this known at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
Metuh, who was reacting to the agreement by the splinter group to merge with the All Progressives Congress (APC), added PDP was not perturbed by the development.
“We wish to use this opportunity to remind all PDP members that the peace process initiated by President Goodluck Jonathan is still on course,’’ Metuh said.
He thanked Jonathan for his “patience, humility, and spirit of accommodation’’.
The party spokesman added that the meeting between the president and the aggrieved members of the party would still hold on Dec. 1 as slated.
He reassured party members that the doors of the party remained open to address all grievances, but added that PDP would not condone any act of internal subversion from any quarters.
On the decision of the Baraje-led group and the APC to merge, Metuh said that was the beauty of democracy.
“The beauty of democracy is that in a political party, some members are bound to leave while others come in.
“The attention of the national leadership of the PDP has been drawn to an announcement by members of the so called New PDP declaring their membership of the APC.
“We recognise the rights of freedom of association for all Nigerians and declare that it is within the rights of any Nigerian citizen to associate with anybody he or she deems fit,’’ Metuh said.
He added that the open declaration of the group had unveiled their true intent which most Nigerians suspected.
“They have chosen to abandon a broad-based national platform and embraced a narrow group of ethnic and religious bigots whose main intention is to unleash a state of anarchy on Nigeria.
“We wish to state, categorically, that the PDP remains unperturbed as we are now rid of detractors and distractions.
“We urge our members, nationwide, to remain focused and close ranks, now that agents of distraction have finally left our ranks,’’ Metuh said.
He added that from the court rulings, there was no factions whatsoever in PDP.
Metuh maintained that in the eyes of the law, PDP remained one indivisible entity under the leadership of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.
The party spokesman, however, commended the wise decision of some of the aggrieved governors who dissociated themselves from the action of some of their colleagues.
He assured Nigerians that PDP would continue to grow from strength to strength and would definitely emerge stronger from the development
Governors Sule Lamido of Jigawa and Babagida Aliyu of Niger, have disassociated themselves from the merger.
