A meeting of the Caucus of the New Peoples Democratic Party (NPDP) has expressed sadness that President Goodluck Jonathan has failed to critically examine and act on some of the issues it has raised.
A meeting of the Caucus of the New Peoples Democratic Party (NPDP) has expressed sadness that President Goodluck Jonathan has failed to critically examine and act on some of the issues it has raised.
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Instead, it observed in a statement signed by Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, its National Publicity Secretary, NPDP pointed out, using Bayelsa and Gombe States as examples, that its members in various States are being persecuted, humiliated arrested and put into prison.
The meeting, which was held on Sunday in Abuja, congratulated and commended the Alh. Abukakar Kawu Baraje-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party for exhibiting quality and purposeful leadership, and urged the team not to relent until the PDP is restored to the right path of democracy and civilised conduct unlike the draconian style of leadership being exhibited by the Alh. Bamanga Tukur faction.
“To further demonstrate that they don’t want peace in the party, Tukur has continued with his hidden agenda by setting up parallel chapters in states where he has nobody backing him to ensure that PDP is destroyed without any remedy,” the statement said. “Some of the demands presented by our Governors include the need to reverse the impunity in Rivers State, where a sitting Governor was suspended from the party against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the PDP Constitution, and refusing to uphold the result of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum election that saw Governor Amaechi winning 19 to 16 votes against Governor Jang. Others include our request for the removal of Alh. Bamanga Tukur as our party National Chairman knowing his flawed election as our party Chairman, and ending the impunity in Adamawa State, among other demands that will put PDP in a strong position as a political party but for reasons not too clear to some of us failed to receive the blessing of Mr. President. To us, we see all these as attempts by the Tukur’s faction to destroy the party seeing that they have no stake in the party anymore.
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With reference to the peace meetings so far held with President Jonathan and the Tukur faction of the party, the Caucus commended the governors of the NPDP for the maturity they have exhibited, even though all the issues the faction raised and presented through the General Olusegun Obasanjo-led Elders Committee to President Jonathan and his people were bluntly turned down.
The meeting also condemned the deployment of the police to the vicinity of the Sokoto Governor’s Lodge in Abuja to scuttle yesterday’s Caucus Meeting, but that the address had merely been used as a decoy since the NPDP was well aware of the evil mentality of their opponents.
“This is the same Police that cannot find a solution to the menace of Boko Haram, kidnapping and other security challenges of the country but now used to harass innocent unarmed civilians like our members!” it declared.
It however urged its Governors to continue to pursue peace within the party in the hope that the President Jonathan and Tukur faction would stop the persecution of the party faithful and allow common reason to prevail in the efforts to restore peace to the party.
It warned, however, that should all the NPDP efforts to restore peace to the party fail, Nigerians should know those to hold responsible for the destruction of the PDP when the 2015 general election arrives.
According to the statement, the NPDP chieftains that attended the meeting included Governors Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); former governors Adamu Aliero (Kebbi State); Bukola Saraki (Kwara State); Danjuma Goje (Gombe State); and Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa State).
Others included the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje; Deputy Chairman Sam Sam Jaja; National Secretary Olagunsoye Oyinlola; and Vice-Chairman, North-West, Ibrahim Kazuare. The excuse by the Governors of Kwara and Niger States to be absent from the meeting was tabled and accepted.
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