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Tag: PDP

  • Tukur, PDP fail to stop Baraje’s camp in court

    Tukur, PDP fail to stop Baraje’s camp in court

    Justice Elvis Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja has rejected moves by the Bamanga Tukur-led faction of the troubled Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to restrain the Abubakar Baraje-led faction of the party.

    The judge, in a ruling yesterday, refused an ex-parte application by the Tukur-faction, seeking to restrain senior members of the Baraje-faction from parading themselves as members of the party’s national executives, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    The application had particularly sought to retrain former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; former Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Baraje, a chieftain of the party, Sam Jaja, among others (named as respondents in the substantive suit) from acting as executive members of the party.

    Also named as respondent is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    When the application, filed by applicant’s lawyer, Tochukwu Onwugbufor (SAN), was moved, Justice Chukwu declined to grant the applicant’s prayers, but instead, ordered that the respondents be put on notice.

    The judge also ordered that the notice be served on the respondents through substituted means.

    “Although I am not afraid of granting an ex-parte application, especially when it is obvious of causing anarchy, however, I owe a duty to maintain a balance.

    ” What I want to do is order that the respondents are put on notice,” the judge held.

    Justice Chukwu also ordered parties to maintain status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    He consequently fixed September 12 for hearing of the substantive suit.

  • 11 parties, 10 candidates for Anambra guber election

    11 parties, 10 candidates for Anambra guber election

    It has now emerged that 11 political parties would take part in the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State.

    Also 10 candidates have been cleared by the parties to vie for the state number one political seat.

    The parties are – the All Progressives Congress (APC), Accord Party (AP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) and United Democratic Party (UDP).

    Others are Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria peoples Party (NNPP), Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) and KOWA Party.

    Apart from the PDP and APGA who have produced two contenders each, other parties are presenting one candidate each.

    The candidates vying for Governor Peter Obi’s seat are – Sen. Chris Ngige (APC), Dr. Igwebike Hygers (Accord), Hon. Basil Iwuoba (PPN), Godson Okoye (UDP), Dr .Ifeanyi Ubah (LP), Prince Leonard Uchendu (NNPP), Dr. Ifeatu Ekelem (ACD) and Chief Denis Oguguo (KOWA).

    The Nation gathered on Thursday that the other remaining party United Progressives Party (UPP) has not decided on its candidate before the September 2 deadline given by the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) for submission of parties’ candidates for the election.

    For PDP, the fate of Dr. Tony Nwoye who is the preferred candidate of party’s national leadership and Sen. Andy Uba, the preferred INEC candidate is still unknown.

    Also, the emergence of Dr. Chike Obidigbo, the South East chairman of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and Governor Peter Obi’s preferred candidate, Chief Willy Obiano has made it difficult for APGA to harmonize.

     

     

  • PDP: Humpty-Dumpty is having a great fall

    Even in those days of baby innocence when they made us chant alien nursery rhymes about this awkward fellow sitting on a wall and having an irreparably great fall, Hardball had so much trouble fathoming why that articulated ball-head chose to sit on the wall in the first place. As one grew older, one learned another twist in the tale that Humpty-Dumpty may have actually been pushed as part of a larger political plot by all the king’s men and all the king’s horsemen who pretended to seek to mend him after his calamitous fall.

    The Humpty-Dumpty tale may well be child’s play but does it not seem the verisimilitude of what is happening in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) today? PDP is in the midst of a great fall, though an opposition member like Senator George Akume believes it has not only fallen, but that it will never rise again, the party would soon be buried and nobody will ever hear of it again, the former governor under the party was quoted to have said. But if Hardball is asked, PDP went into decline immediately after its birth thereabouts 1998 and not many of us would be surprised if it takes its final gasp 15 years after.

    After the Group of 34, the founding fathers who were driven by the passion to oust an embarrassing military junta from power morphed into PDP and grabbed power, that seemed to have ended their ambition. The group which comprised some of the elite and tested politicians in the land quickly returned to their old ways of power, perks and the pleasures of office. Sadly, they learnt no lessons from the horrendous years of the military and did not muster the commonsense to set some ground norms, ideological leaning or even imbue the fledgling with a viable manifesto. They simply returned to their prodigal ways which result is being reaped today. The selfsame licentiousness that led to the fall of the first republic and the attendant turbulence of about three decades of military rule was being re-enacted by the PDP in the last 15 years.

    PDP started its decline from day one as has been asserted earlier because founding fathers like Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Sunday Awoniyi, Chief Solomon Lar, Chief Bola Ige and Audu Ogbeh, to name a few, were soon sequestrated if not hounded out of the party, making room for a horde of hawks, power mongers, kakistocrats and megalomaniacs to flood the party and mould it in their image. So the party had really drooped southwards for nearly as many years as it has existed. The party became known more for its numerous and endless crises than lofty ideals for building a modern Nigeria. In fact, Nigeria has been in decline in real terms in the last one and half decades having not witnessed much improvement in any sphere of life.

    Will PDP fail irretrievably? Most likely so because what is at stake is the 2015 presidential election. It is simply a tussle between President Jonathan and the North over the top job and the main condition for peace is a renunciation of the desire for a second term by the President. That is not likely to happen; the PDP umbrella is therefore caught up in a violent storm that is likely to rent it into at least two parts. So Humpty-Dumpty has fallen to his fatal end? Well so many Nigerians would probably say good riddance, what the heck was it doing sitting around on that damned wall anyway?

  • ‘PDP can’t recover from crisis’

    Niger State ALL Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Mr

    Yusuf Lawal has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not recover from its crisis. He said the split in the party has marked the downfall of the acclaimed largest party in Africa.

    The politician attributed the factionalisation of the PDP to its violation of due process and rule of law, stressing that its leadership has been swimming in the pool of legitimacy crisis.

    Lawal, a lawyer, spoke in Kotangora on the political situation in the country. He noted that the ruling party has inflicted pains on the people in the last 14 years, adding that the governments it produced had failed the nation.

    The politician advised President Goodluck Jonathan to embrace the reality that his second term bid will hit the rock because he will not have a formidable platform to lean upon in 2015.

    He said: “President Jonathan should forget about 2015. He should heed the advice of “The Patriots” that he should not recontest. He should be ready to be a statesman as from 2015”.

    Lawal urged the APC leaders to sustain the tempo of the party’s popularity and aspire to succeed where the PDP has failed. He said the people of Niger State are now gravitating towards the APC, following a critical apparaisal of the political situation in the state and country

    He called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to conduct a more credible electionin 2015.

    Lawal said: “The PDP is factionalised. It will not win in 2015. APC is growing in leaps and bounds in Niger State. The progressives ideas are being propagated daily. We are ready for change in 2015. I call on Nigerians to do away with the PDP in the next general elections.”

  • How far can PDP go in 2015?

    How far can PDP go in 2015?

    The factionalisation of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) portends grave danger for the acclaimed largest party in Africa. EMMANUEL OLADESU, AUGUSTINE AVWODE, LEKE SALAUDEEN and MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE examine how the protracted crises may affect its fortune in the 2015 elections.

     

     

    Two years ago, the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, boasted that the party will rule the country for the next 60 years.

    He was basking in the euphoria of the party’s vicoty at the 2011 elections. He said the party, which has a strong leadership, 23 governors and grassroots appeal, will always be the party to beat.

    Judging by the protracted crises that have enveloped the party, it is doubtful, if Ogbulafor can exude the same confidennce. To observers, the PDP is now a house divided against itself.

    In a twist of irony, the acclaimed largest party in Afica is now approaching the next general election with trepidation.

    At its recent controversial convention in Abuja, where the party split into two factions, its national leader, President Goodluck Jonathan, had peeped into the future, saying that “there is no shaking”. The unfolding drama may have made him to eat his words. According to analysts, not only is the future bleak for the ruling party, the explosion may be the beginning of the eclipse of the octopus, which has betroded the landscape in the last 14 years.

    The President and others in his camp were jolted out of their delusion when former Vice President Atiku Abubakar led seven governors and other key chieftains to form a parallel national executive.

    The factional leader, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, seems to have put the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on the defensive.

    Expectedly, there have been efforts to reverse the ‘ugly development’ in the last 48 hours. But it was not clear, if such efforts would succeed. However, the question many Nigerians are asking is what next for the Tukur’s faction?

    A chieftain of the party from the Southsouth, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Nation that, as long as the splinter group has not announced another which it would be identified, then the reconciliation can be achieved. He said the breakaway group has only positioned itself strategically for better negotiation. “The aim of those behind the emergence of the new PDP is to force, arm-twist or even blackmail the Jonathan Administration to extract reasonable concession in the running of the affairs of the party. We all know that they are not going anywhere. What they want is to have a greater say in the affairs of the party. They think they have lost out. So, I expect them to continue with the negotiation while they claim to be independent. Don’t forget, they don’t have a complete executive now. They are not recognised. The authentic faction is the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur faction. They may push for the exit of the chairman, but they won’t be audacious enough to go out and float another party or join an existing one”.

    Baraje had announced at the inaugural meeting of the group that the immediate priority is to revive the culture of robust debate of all contending issues, while providing a level-playing field for all our members. As leaders of our great party, we consider it a sacred responsibility to save the PDP from the antics of a few desperadoes, who, have no democratic temperament and are therefore, bent on hijacking the party for selfish ends.”

    He listed some of the shortcomings of the NEC to include the taking of arbitrary decisions, violat on of the constitution of the party, suspension without due process and failure to abide by decisions of constituted institutions like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Another chieftain of the party from Edo State, Chief Richard Lamai, told The Nation that the factionalisation cannot stand, and as a result, cannot affect the second term ambition of President Jonathan.

    “We are pretty sure that all they want is to be able to stand at a vantage position to negotiate with the main leaders of the party. We know that 2015 is at the heart of the whole development, and we know they will want to negotiate. Just now, the INEC recognises the Bamanga Tukur group. They are not going anywhere.”

    But what happens, if the PDP apparatchiks refuse to budge? There is speculation across the country that the faction is preparing to open a parallel secretariat in the Maitama District, Abuja, any moment from now. Besides, to live up to the billings that it is serious with its objective of reforming the PDP, it must be able to fill the other offices that are yet to be filled. For now, only the factional national chairman and factional national secretary of the party are known.

    The journey to 2015 will be difficult for the PDP. Unless the crisis is resolved, retaining the presidency is slim.

    Analysts are of the view that the recent registration of three parties – the Independent Democrats (ID), the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) and the Voice of the People (VOP) heralded the splitting of the PDP. Atiku is a major stakeholder in the PDM. The seven governors have been linked with the VOP. In the event that the ongoing negotiations between the factions fail to yield any reasonable fruit, the faction may be forced to join any of the two parties, which will go into a merger arrangement with the maiin opposition. Of course there is still ample time for the consummation of another merger of political parties in the country before the next general election.

     

  • Jonathan, PDP governors in late night meeting over crisis

    Towards ending the crisis that engulfed the ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday  night met behind closed door with some state governors loyal to the Bamanga Tukur led exco.

    The crisis in the party came to a head on Saturday when seven governors including Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Abdulafatah Ahmed (Kwara), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto), and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) had left the venue of the 2013 Special National Convention of the party with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to form a parallel exco for the ‘new PDP’.

    In order to bring back the aggrieved governors to the fold, the President had met with four of the aggrieved governors on Sunday with a decision to continue the meeting yesterday.

    But the meeting with the aggrieved governors could not hold yesterday as it was again rescheduled to hold next week Tuesday.

    The President only met last night with some governors loyal to the Bamanga Tukur led exco at the First Lady conference room at the Presidential Villa.

    The meeting started around 9.10 pm when President Jonathan arrived the venue of the meeting.

    Among the state governors that attended the meeting last night included Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Ramalan Yero (Kaduna), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Theodore Orji (Abia), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Liyel Imoke (Cross Rivers), Serieke Dickson (Bayelsa), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Idris Wada (Kogi) and Isa Yuguda (Bauchi).

    Also at the meeting were the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak and Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati.

    As soon as the meeting started, journalists were asked to leave the venue as the meeting was said to be a private meeting.

  • PDP crisis: Atiku’s faction urges court to restrain Tukur, others from office

    PDP crisis: Atiku’s faction urges court to restrain Tukur, others from office

    The Atiku-Governors faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday asked a High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja Division, to stop the factional National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and other National Working Committee members from parading themselves as officers of the party.

    According to a statement in Abuja by the National Secretary of Atiku’s faction, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the matter was filed before Justice Ganiyu Safari.

    The statement said: “Determined to effect a change and stem the slide of the People’s Democratic Party, the Executive of the Peoples Democratic Party, led by Alhaji Abdullahi Kawu Baraje, brought a case at the High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja Division before Justice Safari.

    “The Plaintiffs- Alhaji Abdullahi Kawu Baraje, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and the PDP- are asking it to restrain Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Prince Uche Secondus, Mrs. Kema Chikwe, Olisah Metuh and others from parading themselves as the members of the National Executive of Committee the Peoples Democratic Party.

    “They also sought a motion ex-parte order asking for leave to serve the defendants outside jurisdiction – Bamanga Tukur purported chairman, Uche Secondus, purported Deputy Chairman, Kema Chikwe, purported Woman Leader and Olisah Metuh purported Publicity Secretary, (the defendants)

    “In its ruling, the court granted the plaintiffs leave to serve the defendants in their various locations

    “But with regards to the matter of their illegality as members of the National Executive Committee of the party, the court said there is no urgency as to the fact of who should hold what office and now directed that the status quo should be maintained while asking all parties to come back on Monday September 9 to argue the motion on notice.

    “What this means is that in the meantime, both executive committees are to remain until the court resolves the matter.”

  • Amaechi: where I stand on PDP crisis

    Amaechi: where I stand on PDP crisis

    Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi said yesterday that he belongs to the faction of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) led by Abubakar Kawu Baraje.

    Amaechi spoke to reporters in Port Harcourt shortly after arriving from Abuja.

    Speaking on the pulling out of some PDP governors and Stakeholders at the weekend’s PDP mini convention in Abuja and the subsequent press briefing by the Atiku Abubakar-led PDP faction, Amaechi said: “I am not the national chairman, the national chairman is Abubakar Kawu Baraje and he is the only person who is qualified to speak for now or the publicity secretary. All I know is that I belong to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) led by Abubakar Kawu Baraje and we are forging ahead because we need to make some changes”.

    On PDP’s electoral fortunes in 2015, he said: “Well, when we get to 2015 God will determine that. We can’t be discussing 2015 now. We will discuss 2015 when we get to 2015″.

    On the decision of Rivers statutory delegates to boycott Saturday’s mini PDP Convention, Amaechi said: “You know, the chairman of the party and the members of the National Assembly and House of Assembly took that decision, I wasn’t around, so I wouldn’t know what to say about that, but the most important thing is that we are on course”.

    Amaechi also said he would not know the outcome of the meeting President Goodluck Jonathan had with some governors in Abuja since he was not at the meeting.

     

  • No room for parallel PDP in Kwara, says Ahmed

    No room for parallel PDP in Kwara, says Ahmed

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed yesterday warned those he described as dissidents not to waste their time planning a parallel Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structure.

    Such an attempt, he said, would not succeed as the state’s PDP election-winning machinery was intact.

    He said: “For those few dissidents who think that they want to come and start running parallel structure here, they are wasting their time because we are a formidable force.”

    Ahmed spoke with reporters at the Ilorin International Airport on his arrival from Abuja.

    The governor, who was received by his commissioners, political office holders and PDP supporters, said:”As you are aware of the goings on, consultation has started with the Presidency and it is still ongoing. Hopefully, another round of consultation would be arranged where we hope the issues that have been raised would be thrashed out.

    “Don’t forget that we had to go to the Presidency as a mark of respect for the president to deliberate on the issues, which we have highlighted and to let you know that things are still ongoing and hopefully we would get you informed as soon as the final outcome is made available.

    “But the most important thing we should know is that a few dissidents might feel that this is an opportunity for them to begin to raise disharmony in the PDP system in Kwara.

    “Let it be clear as crystal, we in Kwara State have an election-winning machinery and that machinery has been trusted, tested and it is still available. So, we should get to know that.”

  • PDP undecided on Taraba, Anambra crises

    The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears not to have decided on how to address the festering political crises in Taraba and Anambra states.

    The PDP-controlled Taraba is boiling over following the divisions between ailing Governor Danbaba Suntai and Acting Governor Garba Umar.

    Suntai was brought into the country on August 25, looking frail, after a 10-month medical sojourn abroad. He had to be assisted off the chartered aircraft that brought him to Abuja.

    While the governor’s loyalists are insisting that he has resumed duty, the House of Assembly mandated Umar to continue as acting governor, after the lawmakers had declared Suntai unfit to resume.

    The constitution, it was learnt, did not envisage the existence of governor and acting governor administering a state at the same time.

    However, the newly inaugurated PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC), at its meeting yesterday, did not discuss the Taraba crisis.

    This is in spite of strident calls by stakeholders in the state for the national leadership of the party to make its position known on the crisis.

    Addressing reporters after a meeting, the party’s National Publicity Secretary Chief Olisa Metuh said the Taraba palaver did not come up at the meeting. The meeting was chaired by the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

    “We did not discuss the issue of Taraba at the meeting because the matter was not listed on the agenda. I will raise the matter in our next meeting and feed you back on whatever position the party takes,” Metuh said.

    The spokesman also said the meeting did not discuss the problem in Anambra State, where two parallel candidates have emerged PDP flag bearers for the November 16 governorship election.

    While the national body of the PDP had given recognition to the Ken Emeakayi led faction which presented Mr. Tony Nwoye as the party’s flag bearer, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised the Ejike Oguebego led faction that produced Senator Andy Uba as the candidate.

    Metuh also promised to raise the Anambra issue at the next meeting of the NWC.