Diary of PDP Crisis .

From the time the aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) staged a walkout at the party’s special national convention in Abuja, the crisis in the party took a turn for the worse each passing week. The crisis actually started when President Goodluck Jonathan refused to recognise Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, as the duly-elected chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).

Here are a few of the timeline…

August 31: Seven aggrieved PDP governors walked out of the special national convention along with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and others, to form the New PDP in Abuja.

September 1: President Goodluck Jonathan held the first reconciliation meeting with the aggrieved governors, which was to be followed by several other meetings in search of peace.

September 2: New PDP opened party secretariat in Abuja.

September 7: Police sealed off the New PDP secretariat.

September 10: New PDP lost legal battle to get secretariat re-opened.

September 12: The Rivers State chapter of the New PDP opened its secretariat and it was sealed off by the police shortly after it hoisted its flag. Another police detachment same day prevented Governor Rotimi Amaechi from accessing the Government House, citing “order from above”.

October 10: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rejected Alhaji Kawu Baraje’s request to be recognised as PDP chairman.

October 12: Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory sealed off the Adamawa State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, which was serving as the temporary secretariat of the New PDP.

October 18: The Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, affirmed Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as PDP chairman. Restrained New PDP from operating a parallel structure.

October 29: The move to woo the G-7 Governors started in Sokoto when the APC leaders visited Governor Aliyu Wamakko.

October 31: Leaders of the APC visited Kano and Jigawa States to woo Governors Rabiu Kwankwaso and Sule Lamido.

November 1: The APC train stopped by in Adamawa State to lobby the Governor, Murtala Nyako, to cross over to the party.

November 3: A meeting of the governors was disrupted by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Asokoro Division, Nnanna Amah, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP). The meeting held at the Kano State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro.

November 4: A proposed visit of the APC leaders to Rivers State was suspended.

November 5: APC and its team were in Rivers to woo Governor Chibuike Amaechi.

November 6: APC leaders moved to Niger State to invite Governor Babangida Aliyu. Same day, the Court of Appeal quashed the sack of Olagunsoye Oyinlola as PDP National Secretary.

November 7: In continuation of their consultation, the APC leaders were in Kwara State to meet with Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.

November 11:   National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP suspended National Chairman of New PDP Abubakar Kawu Baraje, its National Secretary Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Dr Sam Sam Jaja, and  Ambassador  Ibrahim Kazaure for anti-party activities.

November 12: Olagunsoye Oyinlola  initiated moves to regain his position when he wrote the national leadership of the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), informing them of the judgment of the Court of Appeal that invalidated his sack from office.  Also, the leadership of the PDP also wrote INEC, informing it of the suspension of Oyinlola and three others.

November 19:  Olagunsoye Oyinlola approached the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, to challenge his suspension from the party.

November 26: The New PDP finally merges with the APC.