SIMON IBE, Senior Political Editor and ABIODUN ADELAJA, Abuja

The imminent split Daily Champion learnt became rife at the meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) during which members were said to have been sharply divided on the face-off between the duo.

The parley was convened to finetune the agenda for the party’s NEC meeting slated for September 9 in Abuja which is expected to decide the fate of the Vice President.

Although details of the crucial meeting which had all the NWC top shots in attendance could not be ascertained as at press time, a highly placed party source said that the row between President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar which is expected to feature prominently in the NEC meeting was thrashed out.

Other issues that featured were the guidelines for the party’s congresses and convention as well as modalities for the fresh registration of members.

Meanwhile, pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, warned yesterday that current feud between President and Vice President could jeopardise the nation’s democracy saying that Nigerians would hold the duo liable for such collapse.

Similarly, Secretary-General of apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Col. Joe Achuzia (rtd) urged the Vice President to resign his position if he can no longer take instructions from his boss.

His advice came even as a federal lawmaker, Hon. C. I. D. Maduabum cautioned the national leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against taking sides in the face-off. The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) also called for caution in the rift.

Speaking with Daily Champion, Mr. Yinka Odumakin said, "it’s an unnecessary overheating of the polity," warning that the feud was endangering the nascent democracy.

"We are afraid that their internecine battle for the soul of PDP is increasingly putting the Nigerian democracy on the path of danger because their activities will give impetus to anti-democratic forces," he said, stressing that the Nigerian people who fought for the return of democracy would hold the combatants responsible for the demise of the present democratic experiment.

"Most of them in leadership in the PDP did not fight for this democracy. They have always been reaping where they did not sow.

"These people whose interest is the wealth of this country should note that if anything happens to this democracy, Nigerians will hold them responsible," he said.

On his part, the secretary-general of ACF, Col. Hamid Ali (rtd) said that the group was closely watching the unfolding drama and would step in whenever it went beyond the realms of politics to "glaringly" impact on the well being of Nigerians.

"We are monitoring it. We hope they will be able to contain it but if they don’t, we’ll have no option but to call them to order," the Arewa scribe said.

Achuzia said the PDP should quickly put their house in order, pointing out that "after all, the president is the one who chose his vice and should be able to work with him. If the vice can no longer tolerate the instructions of the president, then, he should resign. It cannot be the other way round," he stressed.

Also speaking on the feud, Hon. Maduabum, who represents Nnewi North/Nnewi South/Ekwusigo federal constituency in the House of Representatives in a statement yesterday in Abuja said the least people expected of the PDP leadership was for them to serve as umpires with the aim of lowering the tension already raised in the polity.

"I will like to use this opportunity to caution leaders of our party PDP against taking unnecessary sides in this contrived dispute.

"The least people expect of our leaders is to serve as umpires with the aim of lowering the tension already raised in the polity," the PDP chieftain warned.

According to Hon. Maduabum, the current disagreement between the duo was great disservice to the nation at this period of consolidation of our democratic gains.

Said he: "This is a dangerous development with far reaching implications for the security of the nation."

Hon. Maduabum explained that the issues which appear to have engendered this fresh crisis were things both the president and his vice had publicly discussed before now.

"What did he (Atiku) say that Remi Oyo or Femi Fani Kayode or even President Obasanjo himself has not said or is the president actually running for a third term?

"My reading of the Vice President’s comments in the Thisday Newspaper interview, was that of a man affirming what the president himself has said several times.

"I see in the Vice President’s comment also the picture of someone trying hard to convince others that the president means what he has said about not harbouring any hidden agenda on the 2007 elections, which in itself is a classic sign of loyalty," he stressed.

The federal lawmaker however advised the PDP leadership to endeavour to make the party "truly democratic where every member will feel comfortable and protected to exercise his fundamental right of freedom of speech, association and right to his or her ambition."