Efforts to reconcile warring factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suffered a setback yesterday when the embattled governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, and his Delta State counterpart, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, walked out in annoyance during the special South-South Zonal Executive Committee meeting of the ruling party.

Held at the Civic centre, Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, the meeting which was chaired by the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and attended by members of the national working committee and other top notchers of the party in the zone. It was called to work out ways of re-energising the party and move it forward in the South-South, according to a source.

“The meeting was going on as expected until the duo of Amaechi and Uduaghan decided to walk out on the party leadership,” said one source.

News Express learnt that the walkout started when Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, who is also the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum (PGF), was making his speech on the need for the zone to be united in support of President Goodluck Jonathan, and indeed the leadership of the party at the centre.

Amaechi holds grudges against Akpabio, who he sees as being used by the Presidency to sabotage his leadership of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF). As for Uduaghan, he is believed to be unhappy with the way Akpabio has been conducting himself since his election as the pioneer chairman of the PGF, including his comment that there are many Judases in the NGF who should be rooted out.

•Photo: Governor Amaechi.