PDP LEADERSHIP CRISIS: Tukur survives

From Right, President Goodluck Jonathan and PDP National Chairman Bamanga Tukur at 61th National Executive Committee of PDP held in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.

ABUJA — National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, yesterday survived the bid by party stakeholders to remove him from office.

This came as President Goodluck Jonathan, also yesterday, slammed plans by opposition parties to unite against the PDP. President Jonathan said the party was set to increase its number of governors.

He spoke at a meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party in Abuja, where Tukur survived intrigues mounted against his continued stay in office.

 
Eight national officers of the party, however, stepped down in accordance with recommendations of a report of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which said that they were irregularly elected. Besides them, all deputy national officers of the party also stepped down yesterday.

A new set of acting national officers and deputy national officers were approved by the NEC to steer the affairs of the party pending a special mini-convention of the party slated for July 20 in Abuja. A convention planning committee to be headed by Professor Jerry Gana was also approved by the NEC.

Also at yesterday’s NEC meeting, an endorsement of President Jonathan’s stewardship of the country was approved following a vote of confidence moved by Senator Ibrahim Mantu.

Yesterday’s NEC meeting was attended by governors of Niger; Kogi, Delta,  Kwara, Kaduna, Taraba, Sokoto, Kano, Kebbi, Gombe, Bauchi, Cross River; Plateau; Bayelsa; Akwa Ibom and Abia states and deputy governors of Jigawa and Katsina states.

Governors Gabriel Suswam of Benue, Martins Elechi of Ebonyi, Sullivan Chime of Enugu, and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa were absent and did not send representatives to the meeting.

President Jonathan in his opening remarks said Nigerians should commend the party for bringing stability to the polity. He especially noted that unlike in the past when the number of political parties increased as elections approach, he said that the reverse was now the case given plans by some opposition parties to unite against the PDP.

“One good thing that Nigerians should commend PDP for now is that if you look at the evolution of political parties, it is now stable. Before, when elections approach, by now you will be hearing about new parties being formed and at a time, the ballot paper was becoming too long; INEC was finding a way of de-registering parties.

“Because PDP has come on very strong, no matter the criticisms, they know that we are very strong and they realize that what they need to do is not forming new parties but parties coming together. So, we are helping stabilize the polity. We will encourage them to come together more. We want a situation where it is PDP versus one. In that case, the polity will be more stable. Even our members will be more loyal to the party because they will have nowhere to go.

“All this time, immediately we disagreed in PDP, somebody is picking form in one PPP, DDD party and contesting election for the House of Assembly or House of Reps or Senate. When we have only two, before you get there, they have already occupied that place. So, even if we disagree, we will agree at the end of the day and it will even help to build a stronger party,” Jonathan said.

Saying that the PDP was set to increase its number of governors, he said: “Governor Akpabio said it all that at the beginning; there was no need for PDP-GF but now that we have reduced in number to 23, definitely, this should be the least. We cannot shrink below this level. We must build up. At the time of formation of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, focus was slightly different. In every organization, over the years, there must be some change in direction and so on and so forth.

“So, looking at the number of PDP governors vis-a-vis the total number of governors, it becomes very clear that the PDP needs to have their own thing because we have realized that some of the other political parties, the governors used to meet before coming for general meetings. But PDP being the elephant among them did not really bother much. But over the period, we have realized that there is the need for them to also meet because politics is politics. Politics is a game of interests.”

Tukur warns against  inordinate ambition

Earlier in his remarks, the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur had warned members of the party to stop over-heating the polity because of their inordinate ambition as that contradicts the party’s perception of democratic orderliness, just as he said that open confrontation with political administration exposes political weakness of the party.

Tukur who also warned members of the party irrespective of position to respect President Goodluck Jonathan as the symbol of PDP stressed that he must be respected and treated with dignity.

Tukur said: “Open confrontation with political administration exposes our political weaknesses. Fighting the party from within is unhealthy and dangerous for our image and aspirations. Overheating the polity because of inordinate ambition contradicts our perception for democratic orderliness.

“Here in Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan is our symbol. He must therefore be respected and treated with dignity. Undermining the leader for no just reasons can nowhere bring us good results. This observation is necessary to remind PDP members that we owe ourselves a duty to protect, project and support our President to leave behind a lasting legacy for the Nigerian.”

The National Chairman also proposed the use of e-registration to boost the influence of the grassroots on the party and the appointment of presidential liaison officers to coordinate the activities of federal establishments in the states.

Vanguard gathered that the controversy over Tukur’s continued stewardship of the party did not come up at the NEC meeting as multiple sources said the closed door meeting was completely devoid of rancour.
Senator Mantu, it was learnt, moved a motion for a vote of confidence in President Jonathan in the light of what he said was his transformation agenda and it was wholly endorsed.

Adhering strictly to the report of INEC, NEC accepted and approved the resignation letters of eight members of the National Working Committee, NWC, eight Deputy National officers and three Ex-officio members, just as Tukur, the Financial Secretary, Elder Bolaji Anani and National Auditor, Adewale Adeyanju remained.

Vanguard gathered that soon after, chairman of the Delta State chapter, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi moved a motion for the affected members of the NWC to submit their letters of resignation, NEC immediately endorsed it and they were all asked to leave the venue of the meeting and they complied.

NEC also approved the appointment of former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives and loyalist of Minister of State, Education, Nyesom Wike, Chibudom Nwuche as the acting Deputy National Chairman, Sam Sam Jaja; Remi Akintoye as Acting National Secretary; Senator Emma Agboti, Acting Deputy National Secretary; Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar, Acting National Organising Secretary; Tony Caesar Okeke, Acting National Publicity Secretary; Simon Jok, Acting National Legal Adviser; Barrister Tanko Beji, Acting National Youth Leader; Oyibo Nwaneri, Acting National Woman Leader; Yau Kwadon, Acting Deputy National Legal Adviser; Peter Adefunmilayo, Acting Deputy National Youth Leader; Nasiru Ibrahim Birchi, Acting Deputy National Auditor; Mrs Torkwase Ajoh, Acting Deputy National Women Leader; Mohammed Dandari, Acting National Treasurer and Deputy National Financial Secretary, Awwalu Gwadabe.

Others were Onyemaechi Ikechukwu Jideofor, Acting Deputy National Organising Secretary; Augustine Lugbenwei, Acting Deputy National Treasurer; Caleb Yahaya, Acting Deputy National Treasurer; Chief Akin Taiwo, Acting Ex-officio; Tope Ademiluyi, Acting Ex-officio; Chief Mike Akinfenwa and Gbenga Oduwaiye as Ex-officio.

Special convention holds July 20

Addressing journalists at the end of the NEC meeting, chairman of the Special National Convention Committee, Professor Gana disclosed that the Special National Convention will hold July 20, South West
Zonal Congress, July 11. The dates he said were adopted to meet the statutory 21 days notice expected to be given to INEC.

According to the schedule of events released by Gana, the guidelines for the convention will be released on June 21, forms for the convention, will be out on June 26; local government congresses to ratify list of 2012 delegates and fill vacancies, if any, June 29; and state congresses if any, July 6.

Deputy chairman of the Special Convention Committee is Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State while the Deputy President of Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu will serve as Secretary, with two members each drawn from the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Other members of the Committee are governors of Abia, Katsina, Benue; Delta and Bauchi, with Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; Political Adviser to the President, Ahmed Gulak; former Senate President, Ken Nnamani; Senator Stella Omu; Secretary, Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jubrin; former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, among others as members.

In his goodwill message on behalf of the governors, Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Akpabio noted that all the governors were loyal and behind President Jonathan.

“Mr. President, when the PDP Governors Forum was initiated we were so shocked, it was on that day that I made a statement that for the first time, this party is beginning to recognize the mother of the grassroots democracy. When I became a governor in 2007, we were about 29 in number and through various court decisions; all of a sudden we were reduced to a level where we are now, only 23. The party in its wisdom realized that we need to reduce the momentum of slide and begin a climb.”

“The PDP governors’ forum is therefore a new baby, a new organ and we are now reporting ourselves to NEC that we are now born and we are ready to serve. We have been serving, on behalf of my colleagues, I want to say we have come to NEC not just as governors individually, but we are now coming under the PDP governors’ forum.
Roll call
President Goodluck Jonathan
Vice President Namadi Sambo
Senate President David Mark
Speaker Aminu Tambuwal
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu
Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha
Chief Tony Anenih
Prince Vincent Ogbulafor
Adamu Mauzu
Dr. Musa Babayo

Abubakar Baraje; Bello Haliru Mohammed; Bode George; Amadu Ali; Shuaibu Oyedokun; Senator Walid Jubrin; Senator Ibrahim Mantu; Senator Mohammadu Magoro
Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo
Joel Madaki, Chairman, Adamawa
Dan Orbih, Chairman, Edo
Adolphus Wabara; Jim Nwobodo; Josephine Anenih; Abba Gana; Inna Ciroma; Barnabas Gemade; Senator Ahmed Makarfi; Ishola Filani; Senator Hope Uzodinma; Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba; Chairmen, PDP, FCT; Plateau; Enugu, among others.

Source: Vanguard