PDP crisis escalates …as 57 Reps dump Tukur for Baraje by SOLA ADEBAYO, OBIORA IFOH, ROTIMI FADEYI AND PRISCILLA DENNIS on Sep 4, 2013 | 2 comments Posted under: Featured Story, Highlights, News Jonathan’s kinsmen hold crucial meeting . Pro-Bamanga Tukur govs, President meet The festering crises in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, escalated yesterday as 57 members of the House of Representatives elected on its platform pitched their tent with the breakaway faction headed by Alhaji Abubakar Baraje. Twenty six PDP senators had, on Monday, joined the Baraje camp. The lawmakers, in a statement signed by all of them in Abuja, expressed their support for the former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and congratulated him and other state governors for the emergence of the new party, known as New PDP. They also warned the government not to use state apparatus to hound dissident members of the PDP. “We, the members of the House of Representatives under the platform of the New PDP, hereby congratulate our leaders on the emergence of the new party “Although a sizeable number of our members who could not append their signatures because of their unavailability in the country will do so immediately on arrival, we the under signed salute and appreciate the courage, sacrifice and resilience and patriotism of our leaders,” the statement reads. The lawmakers also said: “We are also using this opportunity to condemn in strong terms attempts by some agents of the Federal Government to use state apparatus to witch-hunt some of these patriots for taking this bold and courageous step. “As members of the House of Representatives, we call on the security agencies and other anti-graft bodies to be professional in their activities and not allow themselves be used by anybody no matter how highly placed for their political ambitions. “We won’t hesitate however to use all instruments of law within our powers as provided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), to stop this and bring anybody found wanting to book. The lawmakers include Abdulahi Balarabe (Sokoto), Abudulmumin Jibrin (Kano), Ali Ahmad (PDP, Kwara), Abudulahi Wamako (Sokoto), Abdulahi Rico (Niger), Abdulmalik Cheche (Niger), Adamu Bashir (Jigawa), Aliyu Pategi (Kwara), Ahmed Zerewa, Aishatu Ahmed (Adamawa), Aiyedun Olayinka (Kwara), Alhassan Garba (Kano), Aliyu Madaki (Kano), Aliyu Shehu (Sokoto) and Aminu Shagari (Sokoto). Others include Aminu Suleiman (Kano), Aminu Tukur (Adamawa), Andrew Uchendu (Rivers), Asita Honourable (Rivers), Bashir Babale (Kano), Blessing Usiegbe (Rivers), Dakuku Peterside (Rivers), Dawari George (Rivers), Farouk Lawan (Kano), Gibson Nathaniel (Adamawa), Gogo Bright Tamuno (Rivers), Haliru Jikantoro (Niger), Hassan Adamu (Jigawa), Hussain Namadi (Kogi), Ibrahim Ebbo (Niger), Ibrahim Tijjani Kiyaw (Jigawa), Isa Bashir (Sokoto), Kabiru Achida (Sokoto), Khabeeb Mustapha (Jigawa) and Maurice Pronen (Rivers). Also in the group are Sabo Mohammed (Jigawa), Mpigi Barinada (Rivers), Mohammed Mukhtar (Niger), Mohammed Ibrahim (Kogi), Mohammed Kutigi (Niger), Mukhtari Muhammad, Musa Ado (Kano), Musa Sarkin-Adar (Sokoto), Mustapha Dawaki (Kano), Mustapha Mashood (Kwara), Ogbonna Nwuke (Rivers), Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara), Sa’ad Nabunkari (Sokoto), Sani Aliyu (Kano), Shuaibu Gobir (Sokoto), Sokonte Davies (Rivers), Sufiyanu Ubale (Jigawa), Umar Bature (Sokoto), Usman Wada (Jigawa), Yusuph Dunari Sule (Jigawa), Yusuph Galambi (Jigawa) and Zakari Mohammed (Kwara). However, as part of efforts to stem the crisis, prominent Ijaw ethnic and militant leaders in the Niger Delta met last night in Rivers State to deliberate on the matter and the chances of President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 election. The president’s supporters converged on Okirika, the hometown of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan for the talks. Reliable sources closed to the organisers of the meeting conveyed under the aegis of Izon-Ikemi, an all-embracing grassroots association of the Ijaw ethnic nationality, told National Mirror that the initiative enjoyed the blessings of the President and his spouse. The list of the attendees was not readily available to National Mirror as at the time of filling this report last night but our correspondent gathered that the forum was hosted by the First Lady’s kinsman and prominent ex-militant commander in the Niger Delta, Chief Tom Ateke. It was learnt that other Ijaw community and youth leaders from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Rivers states, were invited to the meeting. Although the conveners of the meeting kept the agenda close to their chests, findings by National Mirror revealed that the factionalisation of the PDP dominated discussions. It was gathered that the forum was hurriedly initiated as one of the series of efforts to rally support for Jonathan in his bid for a second term in 2015. One of our sources stated that other Ijaw groups in the region have been programmed to tow the line of the Izon-Ikemi as part of concerted efforts to sustain the candidature and boost the morale of Jonathan to seek re-election in 2015 presidential election on the platform of the ruling party. It was learnt that leaders of the Ijaw ethnic nationality view the ongoing crisis in the ruling party as being targeted at intimidating and frustrating Jonathan out of running in the next presidential election. One of the conveners of the meeting said the split in PDP was a grand design to polarise and weaken the ruling party ahead of the 2015 general elections. The source added: “Ijaw people from the various states in the Niger Delta are meeting in Okirika, the hometown of the First Lady in Rivers State on Tuesday evening and in fact the meeting has started as I am talking to you now. We are going to review the ongoing crisis in the PDP, which is aimed at truncating the re-election of our kinsman, President Jonathan. “We cannot watch helplessly while our kinsman (Jonathan) is being hunted by those who never wished the country well and who are pursuing selfish interests. The meeting is going to condemn the grand design to balkanise the PDP and frustrate President Jonathan, in very strong terms and we are going to actively support and encourage Mr. President to seek legitimate re-election in the 2015 election,” added the source, who pleaded that his name should not be mentioned. The Executive Secretary, National Summit Group, NSG, Mr. Tony Uranta, confirmed the meeting in a telephone interview with National Mirror last night. Uranta, the immediate past National President of Izon- Ikemi, said: “It is an Ijaw meeting and well-meaning Ijaw citizens have been invited and must attend it.” Uranta, who said he could not attend the meeting due to health challenges, however, declined to disclose the agenda of the forum. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the PDP’s Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief Tony Anenih, has said the peace talks between Jonathan and aggrieved PDP governors, scheduled to continue yesterday in Abuja, were postponed at the request of the aggrieved governors of the party who stormed out of the venue of the party’s special national convention on Saturday. Anenih said the peace talks would now continue on Tuesday, next week, after selected party leaders would have met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday as part of wider consultations demanded by parties to the crisis. He disclosed that the aggrieved governors told the Presidency and the PDP leadership that they needed more time to make wider consultations. Anenih noted that the Presidency and the PDP leadership were not averse to wider consultations. According to him, the postponement of the meeting will allow the Presidency and PDP leadership to also consult widely on how to amicably resolve the crisis. He said: “Part of the wider consultations is the meeting of selected party leaders with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday morning and thereafter, we will meet with the governors on Tuesday, next week.” The BoT chair expressed optimism that the problems would be resolved and the aggrieved governors who broke away at the convention venue to announce a faction of the party, known as New PDP, would come back. “I believe some of them have genuine grievances; but I have hope that, once the grievances are addressed, they will come back. I am happy that the PDP has an internal mechanism for effective conflict resolution, and at the end of the day, the problems will be addressed and the PDP will come out of the crisis stronger,” Anenih stated. At the end of the marathon meeting, which ended about 2.05 am on Monday, Anenih had read a short resolution of the meeting to the hearing of the PDP governors, including four of the aggrieved governors, who attended the meeting to set the stage for the continuation of peace talks, which were scheduled for yesterday. The crisis rocking the PDP took a new twist yesterday as a group operating under the auspices of PDP Stakeholders’ Forum, said the national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, is not a valid member of the party since he was expelled from the party in 2001. The New PDP had on Monday approached a Lagos court asking for the sack of Tukur-led committee. Addressing newsmen on the rift in the party in Abuja, the chairman of the forum, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, said Tukur was expelled by the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party after being indicted for “high level anti-party activities” alongside five others including the late Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke on May 31, 2001. He stressed that: “Tukur neither applied for nor obtained the requisite waiver by the National Executive Committee of the party before offering himself for election into the office of the National chairman of PDP in 2012”. Ugochinyere noted that since Tukur had not been properly reabsorbed into the party, all actions he has taken, including presiding over the last weekend special national convention is null and void. “The legal effect of the foregoing is that with an utterly flawed and incurably defective membership, the nomination, subsequent election and continued stay in office of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as the chairman of the PDP is fraudulent, illegal and unconstitutional”. Also, Niger State Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, has cautioned that the crises rocking the PDP has assumed a dangerous dimension and if not swiftly addressed, are capable of destroying Nigeria. Aliyu, who stated this at the PDP stakeholders’ meeting in Minna to inform members of what transpired at the party’s national convention in Abuja, argued that the challenges confronting the ruling party would not only affect it, but the nation as well, hence the need to act. His words: “Even though there are issues, they should be discussed and every one carried along. In a situation where one person wants his opinion to overrule others, there will be issues. But, when you persuade them, they will see reason and accept what you said. That is the only way democracy can thrive in the nation. If dialogue fails, we must give room for wounds to heal. “This gathering is to inform you of what happened in Abuja, last week Saturday, though efforts are on by elders of the party to resolve the impasse with the leaders of the PDP and as soon as they are through, we will also let you know the outcome of their meeting.” Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan last night met behind closed door with some state governors loyal to the Bamanga Tukur-led exco. Among the governors that attended the meeting last night were Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Ramalan Yero (Kaduna), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Theodore Orji (Abia), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Liyel Imoke (Cross Rivers), Serieke Dickson (Bayelsa), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Idris Wada (Kogi) and Isa Yuguda (Bauchi). Also at the meeting were the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak. The meeting took place at the First Lady conference room at the Presidential Villa, started around 9.10 pm when President Jonathan arrived the venue of the meeting. As soon as the meeting started, journalists were asked to leave the venue as the meeting was said to be a private meeting. VOTE CHIEF WILLY OBIANO FOR ANAMBRA STATE GOVERNOR
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 08:43:29 +0000
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