PDP NEC MEETING: WIKE DEFEATS ATIKU AS DAMAGUM RETAINS SEAT

PDP NEC MEETING: WIKE DEFEATS ATIKU, DAMAGUM RETAINS SEAT

Minister of the Federal Cap­ital Territory (FCT) and former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday triumphed over Atiku Abubakar, as the Act­ing National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb. Umar Damagum, who has the backing of Wike’s camp, sur­vived plot to remove him as the acting chairman of the party.

The National Executive Com­mittee (NEC) meeting, which de­ferred the removal of Damagum, resolved that the leadership tus­sle bedeviling the party will be addressed in August/September, when the party will hold its next NEC.

This is even as the Acting National Chairman, Damagum, explained that the issue of sur­viving is not a matter of life and death, adding, “This is not a mat­ter of life and death. I am still an elected member of this National Working Committee (NWC). Even if I revert to deputy national chairman, I’m still a member of NWC. The issue of surviving or not does not emerge.”

Explaining why the party didn’t look at the leadership is­sue in the party during the NEC meeting, the Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum and gover­nor of Bauchi State, Bala Mo­hammed, said that the party is working along its guidelines and constitution.

He said: “You can see there was no dissent, no rancour, no division as anticipated or expect­ed. It was planned that we would have an implosion, but the PDP is more than that. We are a party that is united in accordance with our constitution.

“We are working on the basis of timeline and our constitution. And there is no problem, no dis­sension or problem between PDP members.

“In the next two months you will see us rolling out activities on this, leadership is a responsibility. We said in September we would have come out from our con­gresses. When we are done with our state congresses we will look at the issue of party leadership and we will do it with no rancour.”

Also speaking, the spokesman of the party, Hon. Debo Ologunag­ba, emphasised the need for rec­onciliation and stability within the party at this time.

He also said that PDP will address the leadership tussle in the party when it holds its NEC meeting in few months time.

Ologunagba said: “Our party emphasises the need for recon­ciliation and stability within the party at this time. Therefore, the issue of the National Chairman, Damagum, has been deferred to the next NEC meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for August 15, 2014.”

The NEC, in its communique read by Ologunagba, commend­ed all the organs of the party for their collective resilience, steadfastness and commitment towards the unity, stability and sustenance of the party despite daunting challenges.

NEC charged all organs, lead­ers, critical stakeholders and indeed all members of the PDP to close ranks, put aside every personal or group interests and work together in the overall effort to reposition and return the PDP to power at the centre in the inter­est of the Nigerian people.

NEC also approved the re­constitution of the party’s Dis­ciplinary and Reconciliation Committees to further ensure the stability of the party.

Similarly, NEC approved the extension of the life of the par­ty’s Constitution Amendment Committee to allow it to receive new amendment proposals for inclusion in its deliberation and final report for consideration by NEC.

NEC commended the efforts of the National Working Commit­tee in its effort towards rebrand­ing the party including the new look PDP logo which is widely accepted by party members and Nigerians in general.

NEC charged all party mem­bers to continue to work togeth­er for the success of the PDP for the benefit of Nigerians and sustenance of democracy in the country.

NEC also commended mem­bers of the PDP, with particu­lar reference to the youths and women for their courage in re­sisting the antics of the divisive and anti-people All Progressives Congress (APC), especially, its desperation to emasculate the opposition and foist a one-party state on our nation.

The party NEC also berated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC style of governance, adding that this administration’s plan is to turn the country to one party state.

“NEC expresses concern over the ill-implemented policies of the insensitive APC administra­tion, leading to worsening insecu­rity, harrowing economic hard­ship, soaring unemployment rate, high cost of food and other necessities of life with pervading misery and despondency across the country.

“NEC expresses serious ap­prehensions over the spate of acts of terrorism and violence including the escalated cases of mindless killings, mass abduc­tion of innocent Nigerians and marauding of communities in various parts of the country.

“NEC condemns the insen­sitivity, nonchalance, incompe­tence and arrogance in failure of the APC administration which continues to conduct itself in a manner that shows that it has no iota of interest or commitment towards the well being of Nige­rians.

“NEC also condemns the creeping totalitarianism and ten­dencies towards a one-party state which is inimical to the peace, stability and corporate existence of our nation as well as the devel­opment of democracy and good governance in the country.

“NEC, after due consideration demands that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should urgently convene a special National Secu­rity Council meeting to proffer a holistic solution and measures to curb the disturbing insecurity with its attendant negative conse­quences on our national life.

“NEC also demands that Pres­ident Tinubu should immediately rejig his Economic Team to bring in persons of proven integrity and competence without bias and vested interest to assist in repositioning the economy.

“NEC further demands that the Federal Government should review all policies and pro­grammes which are stifling the economy with suffocating effect on the lives of citizens; including the increase in price of fuel with­out cushioning measures, hike in electricity tariff, increased taxation and implementation of adverse fiscal policies.”

In his remarks earlier, Bauchi State governor said that the gov­ernors on the platform of PDP are united and poised to give sup­port to all the organs so that they can perform their constitutional functions.

“We have decided that at no time shall we leave the organs of the party feeling despondent and in want. We are working assid­uously to make sure that all the off-season elections are well fund­ed and we are solidly behind the current leadership of the PDP at the National Working Committee level and the BoT.

“We really appreciate their performance and we recognise especially the BoT which has an array of experienced elder statesmen, who can leverage their resources and human capital to take us to where we want to be as a country.”

Speaking on the aggrieved members of the party earlier, the Acting National Chairman, Damagum, disclosed that there is need to constitute a strong recon­ciliation committee to unite “our many aggrieved members espe­cially those that fall out during the last party primaries. It is better late than never.

“We must as urgent as possi­ble reposition and strengthen the party for effective and construc­tive opposition; bringing on the table acceptable alternatives of policies and programmes in the governance of our dear nation; we must also as a matter of neces­sity bring the concerns of Nige­rians to the forefront of political discourse.”

During the Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting, the Chairman of BoT, Adulphus Wabara, blamed the failure of Damagum to quick­ly facilitate the change of leader­ship in the party and the conten­tious issue surrounding the office of the National Secretary on the crisis in the party.

Wabara recalled the events that led to the ousting of the for­mer Chairman of the party in the person of Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, noting that Damagum has spent over a year in office whereas as the usual practice of the party, the region from whence the national officer hails from should have produced the viable candidate to complete the tenure of the former national officer.

“Furthermore, the conten­tious issue surrounding the office of the National Secretary has re­grettably sown seeds of discord within our party.

“The ambiguity surrounding this position has led to confusion and internal strife, hindering our collective efforts to pursue our no­ble objectives,” he said.

Wabara, who said that the solution to the PDP is in the party constitution, said, “The solutions to these two challenges are clearly imbibed in our party’s constitution but deliberate litiga­tions have made the application of these constitutional solutions impossible.”

Wabara, during the NEC meet­ing, said: “As the custodians of our party’s values and principles, it is incumbent upon us to address the crises that have arisen from the recent challenges surround­ing the leadership and actions of the National Working Committee.

“The widespread public inter­est in the affairs of our party is a strong pointer to the confidence Nigerians repose in the PDP as their only hope in the face of escalating insecurity, bloodlet­ting, biting economic hardship, infrastructural decay and per­vasive misery occasioned by the horrible misgovernance of the heavily corrupt and insensitive All Progressives Congress (APC) administration spanning nine years.

“We cannot ignore the fact that our party is facing internal strife, fueled by inactions, disagree­ments and misunderstandings that threaten to undermine the very foundation upon which the PDP stands. The recent events have brought to light the urgent need for reconciliation, unity, and collective action to steer our party back on course.

“It is in times like these that the true strength of our party is tested. As the highest deci­sion-making body within the PDP, I implore each and every one of us to rise to the occasion and fulfil our responsibility to the millions of Nigerians who look on to us for leadership and guidance.

“Leaders of our party, it is clear that the hope of Nigerians for rescue from this emerging to­talitarianism is anchored on their belief in the capacity of our par­ty to lead the charge in defending and protecting our national patri­mony at this critical time.“Therefore, I am calling upon the esteemed members of the Na­tional Executive Council to step forward and take on the crucial role of mediators in resolving the crises that have engulfed our party. It is imperative that we set aside personal differences and work together in the spirit of fraternity and solidarity to find common ground and chart a solid path forward. To further strengthen our party we must tow along the line of the three “Rs” of Reconciliation, Repositioning and Repositioning.”