Tag: PDP crisis

The crisis which polarised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) started in 2010, when President Gooluck Jonathan declared his intention to contest the 2011 presidential election. He perceived some serving governors as not being supportive of his ambition. The matter was resolved in a “family” way and Dr. Jonathan emerged as the candidate based on agreement with the northern governors that he would not run in 2015.

Though President Jonathan is yet to declare his ambition to contest in 2015, but his body language and the utterances of his kinsmen and aides have shown that Jonathan is not willing to pack out of Aso Villa on May 29, 2015.

Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State had shown interest in presidency, a move that was considered as a threat to the ambition of President Jonathan. The people of South-south, particularly the Ijaws, had threatened that if Jonathan was not allowed to run for second term, there will be war in this country. They branded Governor Rotimi Amaechi as a sell -out for purportedly accepting to be running mate to Lamido, instead of backing a fellow South-south for presidency in 2015. Amaechi had denied this allegation several times but the presidency insisted that he had vice presidential ambition.

The Chairman PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Anthony Anenih used the occasion of his birthday anniversary to seek endorsement of Jonathan as the party’s presidential candidate in 2015. Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, who is also Chairman of The Northern Governors Forum said that Jonathan signed an agreement with the North that he would not re-contest in 2015 and that the party’s presidential candidate would come from the North. President Jonathan has denied signing any agreement with any group concerning 2015.

Some governors and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) are not impressed with the leadership style of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. He was alleged of running the party as a private enterprise.

While the concerned party members were canvassing for internal democracy in the party, Bamanga Tukur in a bid to demystify the “stubborn governors” and take over the party structures ahead of 2015, dissolved the state executive committees of Adamawa and Kano states, among others, and appointed Care-taker Committee members without consulting the governors.

The NWC announced the suspension of Governor Amaechi on May 27, for refusing “to obey the lawful directive of the Rivers State Executive Committee to rescind his decision dissolving the elected Executive Council of Obiokpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. This is in furtherance of the determination of the leadership of the party to enforce discipline at all levels within the party.” The party suspended Amaechi because of a decision taken by the State House of Assembly and for refusing to take directive from the state party chairman. He was never allowed to defend himself.

On June 5, the NWC suspended Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State. His offence was that he ignored invitations and lawful directives of the NWC. Though he was later reinstated but Amaechi remained suspended.A group of five legislators with the support of Abuja-based politicians made a futile attempt to impeach Governor Amaechi. There was fracas in the House of Assembly as 27 members loyal to Amaechi blocked the move. The appearnce of the governor and his security brought the situaton under control. Governor Aliyu and his colleagues who were in Rivers to pay solidarity visit to Amaechi were stoned at the airport by those suspected to be supporters of the Minister of Education Nyesom Wike.

The high handedness of the party leadership brought the seven governors together and formed what was known as G7. They were Governors Aliyu (Niger), Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano), Wamakko (Sokoto). Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Amaechi (Rivers), AbduFattah Ahmed (Kwara) and Lamido (Jigawa).

At the special convention of the party held in August, a group of party members including the governors stormed out of the Eagle Square, venue of the convention. It was discovered that the delegate lists from the states of the governors opposed to Bamanga Tukur’s leadership were substituted to humble them. The aggrieved members immediately regrouped at a location and held a parallel convention with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Senator Bukola Saraki, and the seven governors in attendance. They announced the formation of new PDP under the chairmanship of Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as National Secretary.

In pursuit of peaceful resolution of the crisis, the aggrieved governors visited eminent leaders like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Abdusalam Abubakar to intimate them of what was happening in the party and why they were insisting on internal reforms and the need to refocus the party in line with the vision of the founding fathers.

The demands of the aggrieved governors are: that President Jonathan should not contest in 2015 based on earlier agreement; removal of Tukur as Chairman of PDP for lack of transparency and his autocratic tendencies; reinstatement of Governor Amaehi as a member of PDP; returning the party structures to the governors in states where the executive committees were dissolved, and reinstatement of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as PDP National Secretary following the Appeal Court ruling.

While the President was dragging feet over peace talk with the members of the new PDP, Tukur on his part re- constituted the party’s national disciplinary committee to try the aggrieved members. The committee headed by Alhaji Umaru Dikko had summoned Baraje, Oyinlola, and Dr Sam Sam Jaja, the vice chairman of the group to appear before it.

The suspended National Secretary of the PDP,Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, yesterday warned the party hierarchy against desecrating the judiciary in its desperate bid to try him and three others for alleged anti-party activities.

Also slated for trial by the party are the National Chairman of the New PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja and Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure.

The four leaders have been summoned by the PDP Disciplinary Committee which is headed by a former Minister of Transport, Alhaji Umaru Dikko.

Their trial is scheduled for Wednesday.

But in a November 21, 2013 letter to the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the counsel to Oyinlola, Mr. Awa Kalu (SAN), said going ahead with the disciplinary process would amount to contempt of superior courts.

Kalu, who said he was also acting on behalf of other officials invited to appear before the disciplinary panel, asked the PDP to tread slowly.

He said: “Our instruction is that notwithstanding pending litigations, the distinguished party of which you are the National Chairman, intends to put machinery in motion aimed at making mockery of the judicial process and thus the Rule of Law.

“May we respectfully inform you that Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/774/13, (Prince Oyinlola and 3 Others vs PDP and Another) is currently pending in Court No 6 of the FHC, Abuja Division. In addition, there is a pending appeal at the Supreme Court arising from the Court of Appeal Suit No CA/A/84/2013 (Chief Adebayo Dayo & Another vs Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola & 2 Others) in which the Court of Appeal dealt with the subject matter of your intended disciplinary proceedings.

‘’It is on the basis of the above that we urge you to tread slowly in order not to render superior courts toothless.

‘’I thank you for your statesmanly understanding.’’

The charges against Oyinlola and others are as follows:

•On August 31, 2013, at the Special National Convention of the Party at the Eagle Square, Abuja, the above mentioned persons and others staged a walk-out in a manner contrary to Section 58 (1) (b) (g) and (h) of the Constitution;

•On September 2, 2013, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola filed suit No. ID/704/2013 against the legitimate party leadership at the High Court of Lagos State without first pursuing the internal remedies of the party, contrary to Section 58(1) (L) of the Constitution;

•Since August 31, 2013, the persons mentioned above have granted interviews and made statements in the print and electronic media not only disparaging the national chairman and other national leaders of the party, but also unduly publicizing disputes/differences within the party, even in the face of the great restraint demonstrated by the national chairman and other national leaders against whom their calumny is targeted. This clearly contravenes Section 58(1)(i) of the Constitution;

•On September 1 and 23, 2013, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola wrote two letters to the INEC requesting the commission to recognize the persons above mentioned as the National Working Committee of the party, even in the face of the National Convention held on March 24, 2012, and August 31, 2013. This also clearly contravenes Section 58(1)(b)(h)(i) and (j) of the Constitution of the party; and;

•Since August 31, 2013, the above mentioned persons have consistently maintained that they are of the New PDP (nPDP), thereby promoting factionalization of the party, and in doing so, recruiting to their ranks members of the party in the National Assembly contrary to Section 58(1)(b)(i) and (j) of the Constitution.”

The embattled National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, may have incurred the wrath of President Goodluck Jonathan over his latest handling of the moves to resolve the crisis in the party.

President Jonathan is said to be angry with Tukur for flouting his order to re-instate the suspended national secretary of the PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

The Court of Appeal had granted Oyinlola’s appeal to quash the verdict of a high court which nullified the process that led to his emergence as PDP scribe.

The President reportedly asked Tukur not to proceed to the Supreme Court on appeal and return Oyinlola to office, but the National Chairman remained adamant while Oyinlola took his case to the President to intervene.

The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, said yesterday that the party was yet to be served a copy of the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

It was gathered that the President on Sunday met with Tukur, some selected opinion leaders and legal advisers of the party at the Presidential Villa.

The long session provided opportunity for most stakeholders to air their views on how to address the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

It was gathered that the hawks at the meeting vehemently argued that it was better to allow the Supreme Court to make a final pronouncement on the case.

The hawks alleged that since Oyinlola had pitched tent with the New PDP, he has technically left the party and could not be reinstated.

They maintained that Oyinlola had no locus standi to sustain his case at the Supreme Court.

The hawks adopted the position of the political godfather of the President, Chief Edwin Clark, that Oyinlola has defected from PDP.

One of the legal counsel of the party was alleged to have battled desperately to convince the President that the PDP has a good case, but the President ignored all the persuasions and insisted on Oyinlola’s reinstatement to “heal the wounds in the party and put the crisis behind it.”

A top source quoted the President as saying: “I will not be a party to any attempt to ridicule the court. We need to honour the judgment of the Court of Appeal. Mr. Chairman, go and reinstate Oyinlola with immediate effect.

“I have respect for the judiciary and our democracy can only be sustainable if we respect the court. We have to demonstrate that we are genuine democrats.”

The President asked all stakeholders seeking to file application at the Supreme Court against the judgment of the Court of Appeal to withdraw it immediately.

Another source said the President made it clear at a point that he would “uphold the primacy of the rule of law than the idiosyncrasy of any person.”

Tukur and the NWC, however, ignored the President and proceeded to suspend Oyinlola; the National Chairman of the New PDP, Kawu Baraje; his deputy, Sam Sam Jaja and a former senator from Jigawa State, Ibrahim Kazaure.

It was gathered that Tukur did not consult the Presidency before imposing such a sanction.

According to investigation, Tukur claimed to have asserted the supremacy of the party.

But the Presidennt was said not to be amused by the development, with a PDP stalwart familiar with the development saying: “I think Tukur’s days are numbered, going by the unilateral decision he took to suspend some party leaders. Tukur and the NWC assumed that suspension was the right thing the Presidency wanted.

“Everybody at the meeting where we decided on the reinstatement of Oyinlola felt embarrassed by the recourse to suspension by the party.

“Our leaders are discussing the options available, including the removal of Tukur to allow peace to reign.

“The Presidency is concerned that instead of the party creating and getting more followers and friends, the hierarchy is busy creating more enemies for the party and the Jonathan administration.

“Though the Presidency does not want to interfere in the actitivies of the party, some forces feel it is wrong to ascribe every controversial action to the Presidency.”

When contacted, Metuh said: “I am not aware of such a meeting, we are not changing the decision of any session.

“Some people have been asking me this. I don’t know where they got it from.”

On the refusal to stay action on appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal, he said: “The national leadership of the party has not taken any position because up till now, we have not been served.

“Our National Legal Adviser told me that he was yet to receive a copy of the judgment.”

Asked if the PDP lawyer has not briefed the party, he said: “I don’t know who is representing PDP in the matter.

“And do not forget that the South-West chapter of the party actually went to court.”

Prince Oyinlola yesterday took his demand for justice to President Jonathan, the National Leader of the party.

He also insisted that the leadership of the PDP had been served the judgment of the Court of Appeal which reinstated him into office.

He asked PDP NWC to stand for truth instead of compromising on illegalities.

Oyinlola, who made his position known in a statement through the Principal Secretary to the National Secretary, Mr. Femi Adelegan, faulted the Thursday defence of the NWC for suspending him and others.

He dismissed the reaction of the National Working Committee of the party to Oyinlola’s press briefing as excessively long on posturing but short on reasonable arguments, as it failed woefully to answer very pertinent questions and issues pertaining to disrespect for the judiciary, due process and violation of the principle of fair hearing.

He said: “Those perpetrating the horrors of numerous atrocities designed to nail Oyinlola at all costs are not aware of the implication of denigrating the judiciary and the rule of law; and that my fiercest critics and opponents today are those who are unhappy at my preference for due process in administering the affairs of the PDP national headquarters.

“Most of them are people who were denied attempts to secure undue and illegal political advantage and patronage that would have amounted to the circumvention of regulations.

“One notes with consternation and disbelief the recent developments in the PDP NWC, which disallowed the Deputy National Chairman from acting on issues and matters in the absence of the national chairman. This is obviously an embarrassing statement which portrays the NWC as a one-man affair.”

Oyinlola insisted that the party had been served the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

He added: ”The question to ask is ‘If PDP is unaware, how did it rush its appeal to the Supreme Court? That was the same manner in which Justice Abdul-Kafarati claimed that he was not aware that records of proceedings of his court had been transferred to the Court of Appeal when he wanted to pronounce Prof. Wale Oladipo as the national secretary, when the proceedings were actually forwarded from his court. Thank God that pronouncement, following its abrogation, was made in vain.”

Oyinlola said some party leaders might also press charges against those who have breached the constitution of the party when the PDP Disciplinary Committee is legally constituted.

He added: ‘’Let it be known that when the PDP Disciplinary Committee is legally and validly constituted at the national level, those of us who are aggrieved may also press charges against those we believe have breached the party’s constitution and engaged in serial violation of rules and regulations guiding the operations of the PDP.

“These are people who have also engaged in conducts that have apparently caused confusion and disharmony, encouraged divisions, refuse to consider appeals timeously, made utterances that have put the PDP into disrepute, have clearly breached the PDP constitution and refused blatantly to summon meetings of the National Executive Committee of the party, as well as meetings of its other organs as prescribed by PDP regulations.’’

Oyinlola recalled how a former National Vice-Chairman of PDP, Senator Girgiri Lawan, was arbitrarily suspended by the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

He said: ‘’For the records, I wish to state in clear and unequivocal terms that I never supported the suspension of the National Vice-Chairman of the PDP for the North-West Zone, Senator Girgiri Lawan, a rather forthright personality, as a member of the NWC.

“The minutes of the meeting at which the decision was taken would reveal that Senator Girgiri Lawan was accused and judged by Alhaji Tukur, whose actions at that particular NWC meeting are recorded.

“It is also on record that the letter conveying Senator Lawan’s suspension was not signed by me in my capacity as the national secretary with the statutory responsibility but was drafted, approved and signed within the office of the national chairman.“

The ding-dong over the Appeal Court judgment ordering the reinstatement of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as National Secretary may not end anytime soon.

The leadership of the PDP has continued to peruse the rule books to justify the suspension clamped on the ex-Osun State governor and three other chieftains of the party. It said the PDP would no longer take further humiliation from the suspended chieftains.

The quartet of Oyinlola, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja and Amb. Ibrahim Kazaure were on Wednesday, suspended for what the party described as anti-party activities.

The quartet and others formed a breakaway faction of the ruling party, called New PDP, an action which the promoters of the faction said was meant to draw attention to the culture of impunity being entrenched by the Bamanga Tukur- led PDP.

At a news conference yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, said regardless of the protestations by the suspended party officers, the suspension had come to stay.

When his attention was drawn to the similarity in the circumstances that preceded the suspension of Oyinlola and that of Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Metuh retorted that the question was about whether or not they committed the offence for which they were suspended.

Amaechi was suspended in May, shortly after he won election as chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF). Oyinlola was suspended five days after a Court of Appeal ordered his reinstatement as National Secretary of the PDP.

“The question of their suspension is not about timing. The question is; are there reasons for the disciplinary action against them? Did they or did they not commit the offence for which they were suspended?” Metuh queried.

Going down memory lane, Metuh recalled that as National Secretary of the PDP, Baraje was one of the National Working Committee (NWC) members that suspended a former President of the Senate, Chief Ken Nnamani and others who formed the PDP Reformed Group in 2010.

He also pointed out that Oyinlola and Jaja, while serving as National Secretary and Deputy National Chairman of the PDP in 2012, were members of the NWC that suspended a former National Vice Chairman (Northeast), Alhaji Grigri Lawal, for similar offences.

“You can now see that Oyinlola and his co-travellers are engaged in selective interpretation of the party’s constitution and selective amnesia by protesting their suspension by the present NWC.

“The constitution of the PDP gives the NWC the powers to suspend any member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) or any member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in emergency cases subject to ratification by the NEC.

“That is exactly what happened in the case of Oyinlola, Baraje and Jaja. Article 29 (2) b of our constitution empowers the NWC to act on behalf of the NEC.

“Article 57 (3) also empowers the NWC to suspend members at any level and refer them to the National Disciplinary Committee”, Metuh maintained.

He insisted that the party has not been served a copy of the Appeal Court judgment ordering Oyinlola’s reinstatement.

Asked if the PDP was aware of the judgment, Metuh said: “How do you get aware of something. The PDP is not a charitable organisation. We can’t go to the Appeal Court to ask whether they have a judgment against us.”

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, is keen on a quick resolution of the stand-off between President Goodluck Jonathan and the G-7 Governors.

He is said to be worried by the effect of the protracted crisis on the office of the President.

He does not want the office rubbished by politics, The Nation gathered yesterday.

Sources in Abuja said Col. Dasuki consequently contacted some of the arrow-heads of the nPDP, including Governors Rotimi Amaechi, Sule Lamido, Aliyu Wammako and others connected with the crisis.

Dasuki’s intervention was to shield the President’s office from being rubbished on account of the conflict.

It was gathered that his separate discussions with the governors focused on how to avert breakdown of law and order as a consequence of the security challenges facing the nation.

No fewer than 28 states in the country are under military engagement in one form or the other.

A top source said: “As a matter of fact, Dasuki’s initial intervention accounted for the first phase of the ongoing peace talks between the President and the G-7 governors.

“You will recall that the initial talks recorded some progress because it enabled the governors to table their demands.

“But the likely collapse of peace talks made the NSA to meet with the governors individually to avoid any breakdown of law and order in the affected seven states and the spiral effect on other states.

“So far, the NSA has had fruitful discussions with the governors. He is seeking a commitment that in whatever way the talks end, peace will prevail nationwide. He believes strongly that the Office of the Nigeria’s President deserves some respect and dignity.

“Dasuki has been doing a lot of underground work towards ensuring political and social stability in the polity without drawing attention to his efforts.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “The NSA wants the President and the G-7 to resume talks as soon as possible for the sake of peace nationwide.

“He sees the feud in PDP beyond politics; he is brokering talks to avoid plunging the nation into any large-scale crisis.”

It was not clear last night when the President is likely to resume talks with the governors.

The last discussion between them was held on October 7 before some of the governors went on the lesser hajj.

The governors’ conditions for peace in the PDP are:

• The sack of a factional National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga

• Return of party structure to governors in Adamawa, Rivers, Kano, and other states

• Sticking to one-term tenure by the President by foregoing re-election in 2015

• Resolution of NGF and Rivers crises, including the lifting of suspension of Governor Rotimi Amaechi

• Stopping harassment of governors by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC)

The President has however made the following concessions :

• Immediate lifting of the suspension of Governor Rotimi Amaechi by the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP.

• Return of party structure to all the governors, including those of Rivers and Adamawa states.

• Raising a committee to visit Rivers State, like it was the case with Adamawa State, to build consensus and restore party structure to the governor.

• The governors and party leaders should tarry a while and leave Jonathan to decide the fate of the factional National Chairman of PDP, Tukur.

LEADERS of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seem to be setting it on the path of perdition — going by their actions.

The Court of Appeal has reinstated former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the party’s secretary, but the party has vowed that, despite the ruling, he would not be allowed to take the office. Besides, there are plans to expel Oyinlola, according to sources.

The Abubakar Baraje-led New Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the leadership of the Bamanga Tukur arm of the party to facilitate Oyinlola’s assumption of office.

In a statement yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of the New PDP, Chukwuemeka Eze, said with the judgment of the appellate court, the days of PDP chair Bamanga Tukur and other members of his National Working Committee (NWC)are numbered.

Eze said the court had vindicated the Kawu Baraje faction’s consistent outcry against a culture of impunity entrenched by Tukur’s faction.

The statement continued: “This is just one of the anomalies we have been complaining of that came about due to lack of internal democracy in our party.

“It was occasioned by the undemocratic elements that hijacked the structure of our party and we are relying so much on the judiciary to help us in addressing other anomalies that gave rise to our present struggle and restore hope back to our party.

“This judgment has, once again, reinforced our belief in the judiciary as the bastion of our democracy and the last hope of the common man.

“We commend and congratulate the Judiciary for taking a firm stand on the truth in the face of the plot by some unpatriotic elements to cause confusion in the PDP, with a view to destroying this great institution which some of us have laboured for many years to build.”

Eze hoped that his group would secure victory in pending cases seeking the removal of Tukur from office and the dissolution of the NWC that he leads.

“We hope that very soon, our other court cases asking for the dissolution of the Tukur-led NWC would be given the same serious attention to enable us formally take over the reins of our party and restore it to the path of honour, justice and democratic norms, which Tukur and his cohorts have bastardised.

“The sacking of the entire illegal NWC is, however, necessary to create room for the replacement of the current membership with patriotic party leaders, who would join Prince Oyinlola in rebuilding the party, which has suffered so much in the hands of Tukur and his co-travellers.

“The National Legal Adviser who saw to Prof. Wale Oladipo’s swearing in within 24 hours after his own court victory, should apply the same treatment to the authentic national secretary of PDP and stop portraying our party as a lawless party by attempting to delay his swearing in ceremony in obedience to a court ruling aimed at repositioning our party,” the statement added.

Oyinlola asked the party to reinstate him in compliance with the judgment.

But, the hawks in PDP have launched a subtle plot to expel Oyinlola from the party.

Oyinlola, who made his position known in a terse statement in Abuja, said the PDP should reinstate him with the same speed with which he was removed from office.

He said: “I give glory to God that my stand that I was unjustly removed has been vindicated by the Appeal Court. The position of the law and the Constitution of the PDP on this matter are very clear.

“I don’t want to pre-empt anybody but you would remember that the PDP immediately complied with the judgment of Justice Kafarati which removed me from office, claiming to be a law-abiding organisation.

“I don’t know if there will be a variance of stand now that the appellate court has ruled in favour of Oyinlola that the Kafarati judgment was unfair and must not be allowed to stand. Let’s leave other issues for consideration as events unfold.

“This development further reinforces my belief in the fact that truth is unassailable, and that the path of truth may be long; arrival at its destination is, however, definite.”

Barely some hours after the judgment, some forces in PDP came up with “Plan B” to expel Oyinlola from the party.

It was gathered that the proposed expulsion would enable the Supreme Court to declare the PDP’s appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal as “having been overtaken by event.”