National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has opted to break the ranks of the party’s governors who are currently locked in a battle with him for the soul of the party.
He is also determined to move decisively against some members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) who are unwilling to cooperate with him.
The affected NWC members are the National Woman Leader, Dr. Kema Chikwe; the National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon; the National Youth Leader, Alh. Garba Chiza; and the National Auditor, Chief Bode Mustapha.
Party sources said yesterday that Tukur had started reaching out to some PDP governors on the need to give his administration a chance and keep the party united.
The rapprochement,it was gathered , is to enable Tukur secure a simple majority of members for the purpose of convening a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to pass a vote of confidence in him.
According to sources, if Tukur succeeds in earning the confidence of the governors, he would have sealed the hope of the sacked National Secretary of the party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, from regaining his seat.
The PDP governors, most of whom are backing Oyinlola, are looking forward to the NEC of the party to take their pound of flesh from Tukur.
The last meeting of the NEC was held in July 2012 and the fears of a possible vote of no confidence on Tukur has been delaying a fresh session.
It was learnt that some of the PDP governors, including a few ones from the South-South and South-East, have bought into Tukur’s agenda.
But the PDP Chairman and his foot soldiers were not sure of securing majority support from the governors as at press time.
A reliable source said: “Tukur and his loyalists have initiated moves to break the ranks of the PDP governors. Governor Rotimi Amaechi is alleged to be a powerful force in the PDP Governors’ Forum, but with the deft moves, there might be a split within the ranks very soon.
“It is not known how all matters connected with the running of the party would be presented to the party’s NEC when and if it meets. It is believed that the Tukur camp is waiting for the current situation to thaw while attempts are to be intensified to break the ranks of PDP governors.
“It is also not yet clear how state governors and other stakeholders would be able to contain attempts to sweep the carpets from under their feet through financial inducements to certain strategic members of PDP’s NEC.
“Tukur’s special advisers brought from outside are said to be coordinating the moves to finally nail the PDP governors permanently and have advised Tukur to be playing on soothing words to be able to ambush and check the governors when he decides to move.
“The advisers are also said to be prevailing on Tukur to remove the party’s National Woman Leader, Dr. Kema Chikwe; the National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon; the National Youth Leader, Alh. Garba Chiza; and the National Auditor, Chief Bode Mustapha who are believed not to be on his side.”
Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State, however, expressed confidence that the party would overcome its present crisis.
He said: “We have 23 out of 36 governors. We have two-thirds of the National Assembly; we have councillors and chairmen everywhere. So, we have this large number staying in the house. Even with you and your wife, you will find out that it is not honeymoon every day. Sometimes, you disagree or agree; sometimes you disagree to agree or agree to disagree.
“All these things are happening even between you are your wife, we are not talking of a large family or community, and we are not talking of Nigeria .
“So, many things are bound to have caused disagreement between the members, in between the leaders and those at ward level, but PDP has got its own mechanism of settling dispute. I am sure God’s willing, very soon we will come to the end of the dispute and we come and work as a family.”
It was learnt that to cut the NWC members to size, Tukur has decided to integrate most of their deputies into the party’s machinery.
Another source said: “Since the NWC members have supposedly become rebellious, the game plan is to enhance the status and roles of their deputies. I think they are taking advantage of the fact that these deputies were hitherto sidelined in the scheme of things by all NWC members. They do not attend meetings and they have no operational base at the PDP National Headquarters.
“The PDP NEC is believed to be largely populated by the party’s governors and loyalists. Others being targeted are ex-officio members and state chairmen and secretaries who are perceived to be loyal to PDP governors.
“The arrowhead of the Tukur camp in this regard is a deputy member of the NWC who is aggrieved after being checked of alleged excesses and from illegal usurpation of the responsibilities of the permanent staff of the PDP.
“The said deputy became a willing tool because the removed National Secretary, Oyinlola, had taken administrative steps to check him. It is now time to pay Oyinlola back in his own coin.
“But Tukur is stealing the moment by trying to elevate the deputies to NWC members to prevent future rebellion.
“The deputy members of the PDP National Working Committee were, during the week, awarded a monthly allowance of N350,000 to win them over to Tukur’s side in the event of holding a NEC meeting at which occurrences within the party could be discussed and major policy decisions taken.
“To earn the confidence of the deputies to NWC members, they were told that Oyinlola had served as a stumbling block to the payment of their allowances.”
A source in the Oyinlola camp said: “It is most wicked of anybody to say Oyinlola refused to approve funds or allowances for the deputy NWC members without due consideration of the totality of the recommendations made to him.”
