Mark on peace move

Senate President David Mark yesterday launched a peace move to reconcile the warrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He was in Minna yesterday to meet with stakeholders.

Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu is one of the seven governors that formed the (New PDP) last Saturday.

The Senate President who arrived Minna Airport in a private chopper at about 11:45am drove to the residence of former military President Ibrahim Babangida for consultation and to solicit his support.

Accompanied by Senator Tunde Ogbeha and two Senators from the state – Senators Dahiru Awaisu Kuta and Zaynab Kure – the Senate President went into a meeting which lasted about 30 minutes.

Reporters were barred from entering the premises of the former military president while the meeting lasted.

Emerging from the meeting with Babangida, the convoy left Minna for the palace of the Etsu Nupe and chairman, Niger state council of Chiefs, Dr. Yahaya Abubakar, in Bida.

Though a source in Government House said the Senate President was in Minna for the reunion meeting of Course 3 set of the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA), which he is the leader, our correspondent gathered that the visit was to make peace between the warring fractions of the party.

It was gathered that the Senate President was billed to meet last night with the governor, leaders of the party and some elders of the party at the Presidential lodge.

“The Senate President is on a peace mission to Minna. Though it coincided with the Course 3 set of NDA, he is here principally to truce in the crisis rocking the PDP,” a source in government told our correspondent.