Atiku, 6 govs form own PDP •Appoint Baraje chairman, Oyinlola secretary •We’ll resist gang-up, Tukur vows

Posted by admin Latest Politics, National Politics, Party Politics, Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), Top Stories Sunday, September 1st, 2013

The special convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held on Saturday in Abuja has split the party into two factions, with the new one, under the leadership of Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, emerging.

Former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, emerged as the new faction’s national secretary.

The national chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and other top leaders of the party had addressed the gathering at the Eagle Square venue of the special convention, promising the party’s readiness to allow internal democracy, while President Goodluck Jonthan had debunked allegations of non-performance made against his administration by listing many achievements recorded in various sectors of the economy.

The convention had progressed without a hitch until the list of aspirants cleared to run for the various offices were announced by the electoral committee, with the name of the party’s former national deputy chairman, Dr Sam Sam Jaja, conspicuously missing.

Soon after the announcement, delegates from Kwara, Kano, Sokoto, Niger and Jigawa states walked out of the convention ground and a few minutes later, words started going round that a parallel convention was to be addressed by some leaders of the party at the Yar’Adua Center, also within Abuja, the Federal Capital territory (FCT).

At the centre, it was another carnival-like gathering as inside the main hall, delegates, who had walked out of the Eagle Square, were seated alongside many other party men.

Before long, leaders of the new faction of the party emerged to announce their take-over of the party, with former chairman of the party, Alhaji Baraje, proclaimed the national Chairman; Prince Oyinlola, the new national secretary; and Dr Jaja, immediate past national deputy chairman of the party, returned to his position.

On the high table to announce the takeover were former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state, former Governor Adamu Abdulahi of Nasarawa State, national vice-chairman of the party for the North-West, Alhaji Ibrahim Kazaure; and deputy governors of Sokoto, Kano, Niger and Adamawa states.

Why we took over PDP –Baraje
Addressing the delegates assembled in the hall, Baraje said the decision to take over the party followed the failure of its Bamanga Tukur-led leadership to attend to grievances of many aggrieved members.

He added that the party’s constitution provided that refusal of leadership to attend to grievances allowed for members to react.

He said many leaders were worried about the increasing spate of repression of freedom of speech and freedom of association by the Tukur leadership, explaining that governors of the party had moved round the country to explain to leaders, the deterioration in fortunes of the party.

Baraje said the new leaders of the party were shocked that permutations for 2015 has led to open violation of the party’s constitution, adding that the cold calculation of the president had led to shutting down of all dissenting voices within the party.

The factional chairman said Tukur should know that the PDP was not a one-man party, “where if you dissent, you are dealt with,” adding that his group was committed to changing all misnomers ongoing within the party.

He listed the grievances of the aggrieved members as refusal to hold executive council meeting of the party as and when due, illegal tampering with delegates’ lists from nine states of the federation, running the party like a personal fiefdom and refusal to allow the return of old working committee members, in line with earlier agreement, rejection of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ruling that Andy Uba’s election was legal and illegal dismissal of Dr Sam Jaja.

Asked what would happen if their grievances were not attended to, Baraje explained that the prayer was that good sense prevailed, adding that if not, his faction would continue to push for reforms within the party.

New faction targets Jonathan
Meanwhile, it also emerged on Saturday that the plot to ensure the defeat of President Jonathan at the 2015 general election is one of the major issues underlining the formation of another faction of the PDP by the aggrieved governors.

Sources within the party confirmed that the G5 governors, who had been going round the country in recent months, had, as their primary objective, a scheme that would stop Jonathan’s reelection in 2015.

One of the strategies is to weaken the PDP and also threaten the peace of the party to force the president to negotiate with them.

According to a source in the know, “they are doing it to blackmail the party leadership.”

It was gathered that the fear of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after they might have left office was one of the issues on the agenda of the governors.

Former governor of Kwara State, who is also the new leader of Kwara politics, Senator Bukola Saraki, was recently made to face EFCC fire, thus, reinforcing the fear among the governors that they might not be safe after leaving office, if Jonathan is in charge.

Let us save PDP –Atiku
Former Vice-President Abubakar, in his brief remarks, described the day as a day of sadness and joy for the PDP, lamenting that a party formed to plan democracy had been gradually destroyed by those clinching to it illegally.

According to him, he had done a lot to call attention to the failings of the party and its government, while also alerting those in government that the situation was not the dream the party had for the country.

“The nation is full of frustration,” he said, adding that “we cannot achieve anything under the present circumstance, both in government and within the party.

“This move is a bold step and I call on those members still sitting on the fence to come out and join hands to safe the party. Some are afraid of the government and I ask; who is government? We, the people, are the government.”

Why the crisis deepened
Meanwhile, the announcement of unity list, which endorsed Chief Uche Secondus as the party’s national deputy chairman, is said to be the final act that led to the new faction of the party.

The aggrieved members were said to be peeved by the fact that Dr Sam Jaja, who was to be returned to the office, was dropped from the electoral list and, therefore, denied opportunity to contest at the convention.

The convention committee had concluded the screening late on Friday night, leading to inability of those disqualified to appeal the decision of the screening panel.

The electoral committee later denied the existence of any unity list, but the aggrieved members claimed that the election was to stealthily rubber-stamp the list already selected and on which many aspirants had been denied opportunity to appear on the ballot.

We’ll resist govs’ gang up —Tukur
National chairman of PDP, Alhaji Tukur, has, however, vowed that the party would resist the gang up of state governors who staged a walkout during its special national convention on Saturday.

Speaking at Eagle Square moments after the governors stormed out, he told journalists that the PDP would not recognise a parallel party.

He said: “The PDP does not recognise any parallel party. Those who staged the walkout organised kangaroo meeting are all self-seeking and treacherous individual pursuing neither regional nor religious agenda except their own agenda, except their own personal interest.

“Their attempt to create parallel party is illegal, unlawful as there are no crisis within the PDP whatsoever. They were all active participants in the setting up of this convention. And many of them were with the President and rode with him to the convention venue and joined them in the salutation of all the delegates including their state delegates.

“The PDP is studying the situation as it unfolds and will deal with it decisively as it warrants.

“It is obvious that they are creating crisis where there is none to give the impression that the party is divided. This, in their thinking, will allow them persuade loyal members of the National Assembly to defect with them. We will resist this.”

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Posted by admin on Sep 1 2013. Filed under Latest Politics, National Politics, Party Politics, Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), Top Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry