The Nation Newspaper

Tag: PDP Governors Forum

  • JUST IN: PDP crisis over, say Govs, Damagun

    JUST IN: PDP crisis over, say Govs, Damagun

    Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have resolved the crisis in the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Bala Mohammed has said.

    At the private departure lounge of the Nnamdi Azikwe airport in Abuja, Mohammed, who is Bauchi Governor and acting national chairman Ambassador Umar Ilyas Damagun, spoke with few reporters  on Tuesday morning. 

    Read Also: Damagun’s sack as PDP chair in order, says Ugochinyere

    They affirmed the crisis was over with the suspended NWC members fully back in office with the restoration of the status quo ante.

    According to Mohammed, the PDP Governors’ Forum, Board of Trustees and the National Assembly Caucus collectively resolved that everyone in the PDP NWC should return to their positions.

    Details Shortly…

  • No decision to adopt new political platform, says PDP’s BoT

    No decision to adopt new political platform, says PDP’s BoT

    The Board of Trustees(BoT) of  the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  says no decision has been taken to  adopt an alternative platform because of  the leadership crisis rocking the party.

    The PDP BoT Chairman, Sen. Walid Jubrin made the clarification in a statement he issued on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The Supreme Court​ has adjourned its sitting on the party’s leadership tussle till May 24.

    Jubrin expressed the BoT’s  commitment  to follow all legal processes that will help  redeem the party’s image “as anything not built on truth will fail and falsehood will crush.

    “The attention of the PDP BoT has been drawn to series of publications alleging that PDP has adopted a particular political party just newly registered as its fold back position .

    “I want to make it very clear that PDP has never formed any alternative party.

    “If it has to agree on something like that, all organs and forums of the party viz BoT, National caucus, PDP Governors Forum, National Assembly caucus have to be consulted.

    “The PDP States chairmen forum, former ministers forum, former Governors forum, various youth forums, elders forum nationwide, women’s forums etc will also be fully consulted before such a very sensitive decision is taken,” Jubrin said.

    He assured all party supporters that the BoT has accepted the judicial processes going on at the Supreme Court​ as the only option left to the party to resolve the persistent crisis.

    “We are very confident that the Supreme Court shall freely and independently take fair decision which will be historic in Nigeria’s democracy.”

    He also assured all PDP members that the BoT remains resolutely united and absolutely loyal to the party.

    “Any child that does not allow his mother to sleep, he too will never sleep.

    “I want to further assure our members and supporters that we shall keep them informed of any development before any action is taken .”

    Jubrin also congratulated PDP governors who won all seats in recent local government  elections in their states .

  • Fresh cracks in PDP govs forum over Sheriff

    Fresh cracks in PDP govs forum over Sheriff

    Some governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are reviewing their opposition to the planned national convention of the party by the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the party.

    The governors, The Nation, can now reveal, are calculating that they will be taking a big risk if they fail to be part of the convention for as long as the Court of Appeal’s verdict recognizing Sheriff as chairman has not been reversed.

    A new leadership is to be elected at the planned convention.

    Some of the governors, it was gathered, are of the opinion that they should join Sheriff in organizing the convention, since  the former Governor of Borno State remains the one recognised by law, for now, as the party leader.

    But others are opposed to the Governors’ Forum having anything to do with the planned convention, preferring instead to wait for the outcome of the former President Goodluck Jonathan peace initiative. The opposing governors are said to be angry with Sheriff for walking out on party leaders at the last peace parley in Abuja.

    A party source said:”They claim that he (Sheriff) insulted the entire party and the former president with his action on that day and with his subsequent statements in the media and elsewhere. They also feel that for him to announce that he is going on with the convention with or without the other faction is a breach of all agreements earlier reached.

    “Also, some of those opposed to Sheriff are still optimistic that the Supreme Court will upturn his judicial victory soon. And when that happens, he will lose all legitimacy to hold a convention for the party. They are impatiently waiting for the Court to make a pronouncement that will finally halt Sheriff and his camp in their bid to foist a new leadership on the party.”

    The Nation learnt that the disagreement among the governors over the planned convention is aptly responsible for the inability of the forum to meet lately.

    It is feared that calling a meeting of the forum at this time will not be in the best interest of the party and the forum.

    Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, who is also the Chairman of the Forum, is in the vanguard of the opposition to Sheriff and the planned national convention being put together by his team.

    Sources said Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State who headed the peace and reconciliation committee set up by ex-President Jonathan believes strongly that the convention, as planned by his reconciliation committee, remains the solution to the crisis within the party.

    A source said:”In spite of the seeming collapse of the peace effort put in place by his committee, Dickson is still working hard to get the Governors’ Forum to throw its weight behind the planned national convention. But Fayose, who is the chairman of the Forum, is determined not to be part of the convention as being planned.

    “Consequently, the governors are sharply divided over the matter. What we now have are governors who support Dickson’s view as well as those who are aligning with Fayose.

    “ While I can tell you more governors want to be part of the convention based on the last court ruling that pronounced Sheriff as the authentic chairman of the party, it is also important to note that Fayose is not the only one opposed to the convention.”

    Speaking on the matter only after pleading for anonymity, a media aide to one of the PDP governors in the Southsouth revealed that his governor is one of those opposed to the Forum’s participation in the convention. According to him, it is true that some governors are going round trying to mobilise others to support the convention, “Their argument is the need to comply with court rulings. Well, they are entitled to their opinion but my governor is opposed to such participation. We will have nothing to do with people who insulted the party elders without a second thought.

    “And it is also our strong belief that the Supreme Court will remove these impostors from the leadership of our party soon. We are optimistic and unrelenting in our pursuit of justice in the leadership struggle that has adversely affected the PDP since after the decisive 2015 general elections.”

  • Fayose becomes chair of PDP Governors’ Forum

    Fayose becomes chair of PDP Governors’ Forum

    Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has emerged the new chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum.

    He succeeds the outgoing governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who also took over from former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio in 2015.

    Making the declaration in Abuja on Thursday night, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, said the Forum decided to settle for Fayose because of his record of performance and as the most senior governor elected on the platform of the PDP.

    The announcement came after a marathon meeting of party stakeholders at a private residence in Abuja, which was attended by leaders of the critical organs of the PDP.

    Describing the choice of Fayose as a collective decision of the stakeholders, Governor Dickson paid glowing tributes to Governor Mimiko for his immense contribution to the Forum during his tenure.

    Present at the meeting were the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi; Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, Senator Wali Jibril and the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu.

    Also present were the Governor of Taraba State, Mr. Darius Ishaku, and a member of the Caretaker Committee, Senator Abdul Ningi, among others.

    They collectively described Fayose as a real party man who would boost the growth and development of the PDP.

  • Fayose emerges PDP Governors’ Forum chairman

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum on Friday appointed Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, as its new Chairman.

    Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, disclosed this while briefing journalists on the outcome of the Forum and PDP Caucus meeting which ended in the early hours of Friday in Abuja.

    Dickson said the PDP chieftains had a very fruitful deliberation on the state of the nation and the party.

    “As an integral part of the discussion, the governors of our party, among ourselves, as well as those who were unavoidably absent, unanimously appointed a new PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Dickson as saying to journalists at the end of the meeting.

    “In line with the tradition of our party, we agreed to appoint our colleague, the most senior governor in PDP, Ayodele Fayose, the governor of Ekiti as new Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum.

    “You are all aware that he is a committed party man, doing a wonderful job in his state. He is well experienced and committed to the ideals of our party.

    “We have all unanimously appointed him as the new Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum to coordinate the affairs and activities of our forum and to work and collaborate with other structures of our party.”

     

     

  • PDP: Fayose, Ikpeazu differ on peace move

    PDP: Fayose, Ikpeazu differ on peace move

    Two governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday disagreed on the peace move that was announced by the two feuding factions of the party led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.

    The two factions of the party had on Tuesday announced their decision to bury the hatchet and work together in order to enable the party perform its role as a viable opposition platform.

    Both factions disclosed their intention to embark on extensive consultations with their respective loyalists to fashion out a way to cement the new unity after about four months of bitter rivalry.

    Governors Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, who spoke separately on the issue with State House correspondents at the end of the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday, differed on the necessity of the reconciliation move.

    While Fayose rejected it and stressed that it is only the Court of Appeal that can resolve the party’s leadership crisis, Ikpeazu described it as a step in the right direction.

    According to Fayose, the PDP state governors have not been briefed on the reconciliation move while the cases in court have not been withdrawn.

    He said: “That move, you see, I’m not against anything called resolution within the party but everybody must wait for Court of Appeal to resolve this matter.

    “Matters are in court, nobody has withdrawn any matter and they are resolving. What are you resolving?

    “When matters are in court you, allow court to lay them to rest. The moment this thing doesn’t go with one side, they will tell you were are still in court.

    “But allow the court to take a stand and reconciliation would be made easy. I’m not against anybody reconciling with each other, but when you see that meeting, ask the coverners if the governors were briefed.

    “I was not briefed. I am not the only person in the party, but I think I have a stake.”

    On whether the cases in court cannot be withdrawn during reconciliation, he replied: “Let’s wait till then. But my opinion is the Court of Appeal must resolve this matter.

    “When you resolve the matter, you know that I am wrong and I you are right and reconciliation will be made easy.” He said.

    Abia governor said that the new reconciliation move will be a victory for the party and Nigeria at the end of the day.

    Noting that the long period of the crisis had taken a toll on the party, he said that it had also provided it with new opportunities to become stronger.

    Ikpeazu said: “In every crisis there are downsides because nobody will wish and pray for the crisis. I think also that moment of crisis are also opportunities for strength, renewed vigor and to reinvent our vision.

    “So, ultimately, I think the PDP has the resilience and what it takes to bounce back as a party.”

    On how to secure the support of its founding fathers and others who may have left the party, he said the party will work to bring everybody back on board.

    He went on: “There is no doubt that party politics everywhere involves everybody, whether you are a founding father or a new member. A political party is built around people and everybody has a equal stake.

    “Our interest is Nigeria. Therefore, all strata of people, an opinion I think will be put into consideration because they are equally important.

    “The important thing is Nigeria and the important thing is democracy. Whether you are a BoT member or a party person, it doesn’t really matter. PDP Governors Forum is not a political party,” he added.

  • Don’t leave PDP, BoT Chairman appeals to members

    Don’t leave PDP, BoT Chairman appeals to members

    Senator Walid Jibrin, the acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT), on Thursday appealed to members contemplating of leaving the party to shelve the idea.

    Jibrin made the appeal in Abuja at the party’s 70th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

    He said that leaving the party for another was not the solution to rebuilding the PDP.

    “Many of us who are founding members of PDP will not leave the PDP and the PDP will never die. We will continue to be in PDP.

    “Whatever mistake that is there in the party, we must be there to correct it and make our contribution, leaving PDP is not the answer.

    “I will like to appeal to everyone who intends to leave PDP to stop that, we must unite and all work together in order to build PDP.

    “PDP is within a very good marking and I do not think I see anything wrong with PDP.

    “Every party has its own problems and we should use our own problems positively.
    “Am sure soon, the whole problem in PDP will be resolved,” Jibrin said.

    He stressed the need to use the NEC meetings positively in a way that would benefit the party.

    “We are very aware of various meetings everywhere.

    ” I have decided that I will not attend any meeting apart from the properly organised meetings because we have to be very careful in the way we hold meetings these days,” Jibrin added.

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who also spoke at the meeting, said that as the national convention approaches, it was expected that there would be disagreements.

    Ekweremadu stressed the need for members of the party to resolve such disagreements, saying that, “that is the resilience that PDP is known for.

    “So I like to appeal to our party men and women that we must find a way of resolving our differences in the best interest of our party.

    “PDP is the only party in Nigeria which we can say belongs to everybody and to nobody.

    “The time is now for us to make sacrifices and to show compromise so that the party will remain strong.

    “It is also a time for us to show alternative to what is going on in the country currently, so that Nigerians can trust us again with governance in 2019, Ekweremadu said.

    Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State, who spoke for the PDP Governors Forum, pledged the loyalty of the forum to the decision of the NEC of the party.

    “As a party and democrat, we are bound to have disagreement and agreement on issues. Once the party takes position, we are bound to follow the decision of the party,” Dankwambo said.

     

  • PDP governors mourn Borno deputy governor

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has expressed condolences to the government and people of Borno State over the death of the Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Zannah Umar Mustapha.

    Mustapha died in Yola, Adamawa State, while on official assignment in the neighbouring state.

    A statement issued on Monday in Abuja by the coordinator of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, said the governors were shocked and saddened by the sudden death of the deputy governor.

    The statement said, “The PDP Governors’ Forum condoles with the Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, the family of the late Deputy Governor as well as the people of Borno state and the All Progressives Congress over the loss.”

    While praying God to grant the deceased eternal rest, the Forum said Mustapha’s death was a huge loss to the nation and that he would be sorely missed by his family, government and the people of Borno State.

  • Southwest APC: PDP Governors Forum erred on Card Reader

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has faulted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum for unjustifiably opposing the use of the Card Reader Machine (CRM), noting that the forum’s position “is an attempt to promote electoral fraud and rigging.”

    The party added that rejecting the CRM for the elections suggest that the forum has demonstrated that the PDP “is not committed to credible elections and in deepening the country’s democratic process.”

    In a statement on Thursday in Lagos, the APC National Vice-Chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure described the forum’s opposition to the Card Reader as antithetic to robust democratic culture and credible elections.

    Akinyelure, a former executive director of Mobil Nigeria Plc., explained that it is  worrisome that the forum “has opposed initiatives the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) put in place to guarantee the credibility of the 2015 elections.”

    The vice-chairman added that the forum “has been plotting the removal of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, who has set necessary machinery in motion to achieve the successful conduct of 2015 elections.”

    He lamented that the forum adopted a do-or-die approach “to stop the use of Card Reader, which all critical stakeholders in the Nigeria Project, including civil society organisations (CSOs) have approved given its capacity to help in realising credible elections against what we had in the past.”

    He urged Nigerians to oppose any person or platform canvassing against the use of the CRM, saying in disapproving the device “amounts to disapproving credible elections that produce change. It also amounts to disapproving a better country where every vote counts.”

    He explained that the forum as well as the PDP is opposed to the CRM because it is afraid of defeat, citing the massive support the APC presidential candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari enjoys in all parts of Nigeria, especially in Southwest.

    Akinyelure said the CRM initiative was introduced by the INEC and funded by the Federal Government for the purpose of achieving credible elections.

    He wondered why the PDP-led Federal Government “is opposing the CRM initiative. What is the purpose of spending billions of naira to procure the device when the Federal Government knows it will not support? This simply shows the PDP only wins elections by rigging. This is no longer fashionable. It is no longer acceptable and the time for change is now.”