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| Governors Rotimi Amaechi |
• Tukur: We harbour no malice against any member
• Kwara PDP denies hijack of party by
presidency
• Ijaw groups make case for Sokoto governor
By Chuks Okocha, Hammed Shittu and Segun James
There were indications Sunday that governors elected on the
platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have concluded plans to meet
this week, to discuss the suspension of two of their members, Governors Rotimi
Amaechi of Rivers State and his Sokoto State counterpart, Dr. Aliyu Wamakko,
who were suspended by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party for
alleged anti-party activities.
But the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga
Tukur, has said the party was not harbouring any grudge against any member of
the party, insisting that his leadership abhors indiscipline in all its
ramifications.
While the NWC of the party in a statement signed by the
National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, assured members of the party that it
was determined to resolve all contentious issues in the party, the party last
week subjected its members of staff to oaths of secrecy session, which were
administered by the Acting National Secretary of the party, Mr. Solomon Onwe.
In Kwara State, leaders of the PDP dismissed the alleged
insinuation in the state that some forces in the presidency have finalised
arrangement to hijack the party’s structure in the state.
However, a governor elected on the platform of the PDP, told
THISDAY in confidence that all the governors of the party would meet this week
to discuss some of the issues affecting the party, especially the ones that
related to the suspension of the two governors by the NWC.
It was gathered from the governor that almost all the PDP
governors were in Abuja, awaiting the arrival of the Chairman of the PDP
Governors’ Forum, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State to fix the date
of the meeting.
Meanwhile, concerned
PDP Stakeholders in the Niger Delta and Ijaw Youth Groups have asked that the
suspension of the Sokoto State Governor, Dr. Aliyu Wamakko, by the leadership
of the PDP be rescinded in the interest of peace.
Addressing journalists in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State
capital, National Leader of the group, Chief Mike Ekayama Loyibo, and President
of the coalition of IYG, Prince Ebikapaye Agidee, both feared that the
suspension was capable of sending a wrong signal concerning the nation’s
nascent democracy.
According to a source, “the PDP Governors’ Forum meeting will certainly take place this week.
We are awaiting the arrival of the chairman. What is happening is giving the
impression that President Goodluck Jonathan is fighting the governors that is
why there is the suspension of the
governors. So, we will meet to get down
to the root of the crisis. Some of us are already in town.”
On the gale of suspensions within the party, Tukur said: “We
harbour no malice against any member. We only do not want to be a flock without
a shepherd. If we are not disciplined as a party, we certainly may not be able
to produce the most progressive government in line with the greatest
expectation of every Nigerian and the rest of the world.
“Right now, we are re-organising by way of bringing everyone
to appreciate the constitution and manifesto of the party so that when we go
into election in 2015, we can win landslide as a family in the election which
will rank as the freest, most peaceful and most transparent in line with the
desire of President Jonathan.”
The PDP chairman, in a statement he personally signed, said
he had used his business links built over the years to identify the rating of
Nigeria in the race among third world countries for membership of the United
Nations Security Council, stating that: “I can say our rating is very high as a
regional leader.”
He said the ability of Nigeria to clinch the ticket to be a
member of the World Security Council depended on the success she achieves from
her current war against terrorism, while also maintain her political stability.
While explaining the reasons for some of the decisions taken
concerning the party’s affairs, the NWC assured its members that the happenings
in the party were part of the processes of instilling discipline within the
party as the party was not cut out for any witch-hunting mission against anybody.
In a statement signed by Metuh, the party said: “The Party
is not unmindful of the feelings of members hence the need for this
clarification. We assure that all the issues will be looked into and resolved
amicably in line with the spirit of brotherliness and the guiding principles of
our Party.
“We assure all members that the PDP remains the only
national party committed to the welfare of the people for which it will
continue to win elections across board. It will continue to exist as the party
with structures in all wards, local governments and states in the federation
where all are free to air their views and canvass their opinions.”
THISDAY gathered that the decision to administer the oaths
of secrecy on the members of staff of the party may not be unconnected with
perceived allegations that the members of staff were responsible for leaking of
information to the press.
In a related development, a former governor of Kwara State
and senator representing Kwara North at the National Assembly, Senator Muhammed
Sha’aba Lafiagi, while fielding questions from journalists in Ilorin, described
media report insinuating that the state party structure has been hijacked by
the presidency as “absolutely untrue.”
Lafiagi, who spoke alongside the chairmen of the party in
Kwara North, Alhaji Isiaka Oniwa; Alhaji S.O. Yusuf (Kwara South), and Alhaji
Jimoh Adesina (Kwara Central) respectively, said: “I do not believe that the
Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Prof. Shuaib Oba
AbdulRaheem, can be part of any plot to either hijack or polarise the PDP’s
structure in the state. All the insinuations in the newspapers, I do not
believe. I do not believe also that the PDP at the national level can do
anything negative against its own in the state.”
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