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Tag: PDP

  • PDP National Auditor seeks to join suit against NWC

    PDP National Auditor seeks to join suit against NWC

    The National Auditor of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Fatai Adeyanju has asked to be included in a suit seeking to sack members of the party’s National Working Committee(NWC).

    Adeyanju, in an application argued yesterday by his lawyer, Ajibola Oluyede, also urged an Abuja High Court to replace the name of the party’s former Auditor, Bode Mustapha and stay further proceedings because a similar case was pending between parties before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    His application stalled the planned hearing of all pending applications (preliminary objections and counter-affidavits in reply to originating summons).

    Oluyede claimed that, since his client was now the party’s National Auditor, it was only proper for him to be listed as a co-defendant, rather than Mustapha, whom he said was sacked by virtue of a judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    He relied on Order 10 Rule 35 of the court’s Rules and prayed the court to stay proceedings.

    Oluyede exhibited a copy of the enrolled order of the Lagos court, where the presiding judge directed the PDP to replace Mustapha, “since he was not an accountant”, as contemplated by the party’s constitution.

    He drew the court’s attention to a similar suit before Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court Abuja, wherein the judge had asked parties to stay action on a report by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the party’s last congress.

    Oluyede argued that the subject-matter of the suit before Justice Bello was the same with the current case.

    There was disagreement among other parties on how Adeyanju could become a party.

    Lawyer to the plaintiffs, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) objected to Oluyede’s argument, contending that “an application for stay of proceedings can only be predicated on a pending appeal”.

    He said since the applicant, Adeyanju,was not a party in the suit, “the court cannot stay proceedings in the matter; where an applicant is neither before this court nor before Adamu Bello’s court”.

    Okutepa claimed that, “the affidavit evidence (before the court) has not shown any occurrence of change, as envisaged by Order 10, Rule 35, pointing out that even the existence of the said judgement has not been proved and urged the court to dismiss the motion.

    Lawyers to the 1st defendant, Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) and 2nd – 3rd defendants agreed that the court was bound by the said order referred to by Oluyede since it has not been set aside.

    Other defendants argued that the applicant could only come by way of an application for joinder.

    It was the contention of the 15th defendant that by the provision of Order 10 of the court’s Rule, “a formal application is not needed for the proper party to be joined, only the discretion of the court is what is require”.

    Three members of the party – Abba K. Yale, Yahaya Aruwa Sale and Bashir Maigudu had sued and sought among others, an order nullifying the election from which the NWC members emerged. They also prayed the court to declare their positions vacant.

    The NWC members include Sam Jaja, Bala Bawa Ka’oje (National Treasurer), Solomon Onwe (Deputy National Secretary), Umar Tsauri (Deputy National Auditor),Olisa Metuh (National Publicity Secretary) and Bode Mustapha.

    Others are, Dr Kema Chikwe (Women Leader),Victor Kwon (National Legal Adviser) and Anunakar Mustapha (National Organising Secretary).

    The Plaintiffs are of the view that the NWC members were not nominated and elected in accordance with the constitution and guidelines of PDP) and as such, should not continue to hold office.

    They also relied on the INEC where it picked holes in the March, 2012, National Convention of the party, which produced the defendants.

     

  • ‘Solution to PDP crisis with President’

    The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Information, Zakari Mohammed, yesterday said the panacea for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis lies with President Goodluck Jonathan.

    He described the suspension of some PDP members on the flimsiest of excuses as the alleged infiltration of the party structure by “certain funny elements”.

    Zakari, who addressed reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, dismissed the alleged plan to hijack the PDP structure in the state by the Presidency.

    He said: “My caution goes to Mr. President on the suspension of some members of the party. This is because everything now is on his laps. There are certain elements who have infiltrated the party’s structure.

    “I believe President Goodluck Jonathan should sit down as the leader of the party and do inner and sober reflections so that this idea of throwing out members on flimsy excuses will be eliminated. The party has a machinery for discipline. With the advent of the civilian rule in 1999, there was a mistake by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    “The funding of the party should have been the responsibility of all party men, channelled from the party secretariat. In 1999, funding of the party was put in the hands of the state governors. Governors started assuming the role of financiers of the state chapters of the PDP.

    “Now, a system that would take them off it should be gradual. We have retraced our steps and begin to run party politics as it is. It is just like weaning gradually, not to get him malnourished. That is exactly the sickness in the PDP.

    “The President needs to be careful. Let real party men take over the party. They would be able to do everything in accordance with laid down rules and regulations.”

    On the planned hijack of the PDP in the state, the House Information Committee chair explained that the allegation “is at the level of a rumour, because there is no categorical statement credited to anybody to say PDP Kwara is a target for mischief”.

    Mohammed added: “However, the second would be that even if such insinuations are in the kitty, I want to make it abundantly clear that Kwara is different from every other state of the federation.

    This is because the state has a political structure that predates even some of us who are actors in the political scene. It is being handed from one generation to the other. Majority of the people who are worthy in Kwara, key in into that family structure and it has been paying off.

    “In Kwara, I don’t think we have any fears. We have a leader in the person of Senator Bukola Saraki in whom we are pleased. He is in charge of our political structure. We have no cause to doubt his ability and capability.

    “To target Kwara for whatever purpose, I don’t think it is the right thing…”

     

  • The tower of PDP

    The tower of PDP

    As we marked another democracy day, it is natural to review our democratic journey in the Third Republic so far with a view to forming an opinion on the journey itself and the road ahead. In the event that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has governed the country uninterrupted since 1999, it is the dominant influence of our democracy and as painful as it is, the bitter truth is that our fortunes as a nation are decided by the PDP. So it is only sensible to look at the PDP, the drivers of our national vehicle in order to see where the drive is headed.

    Many commentators point to the uninterrupted 14 years of civil rule and the handover in 2007 from one civilian led government to another as evidence of deepening democracy in Nigeria and conclude that it has in fact come to stay. This conclusion is without sophistication in as much as it does not recognize the fact that a transfer from one PDP government to another is not a handover, it is a hand-in.

    For different reasons and especially because of recent dramatic events in the PDP, anytime happenings in the PDP assault my space, the biblical story of the Tower of Babel comes to mind. For those unfamiliar with the story, the people of the world at that time had only one language and were very skilled in construction. So conceited did they become in the greatness of their own abilities that they decided to build a tower to reach up to heaven. God realising the possibilities attendant to unity of purpose decided to confuse their tongues and the builders started speaking different languages. Unable to understand each other any longer, the project collapsed and ended in failure.

    The lesson of the story for me lies in the wisdom of recognising that with unity of purpose, great things are possible. Unfortunately, the fact that a thing is great does not make it good and therefore with unity of purpose even ignoble things can be attained. The PDP has ruled Nigeria for 14 years. It has not been years of glory for our nation but for members of the PDP. Whilst the rest of the country is being crushed under the suffocating weight of corruption induced poverty and insecurity, they are in their own cocoons. That is why a country with a GNP that is less than that of the West Bank and Gaza is the same with a staggeringly disproportionate high demand for armoured vehicles, private jets and champagne!

    The PDP has captured and retained power for 14 years, but that is not the real story. The fact is that power has been retained by a combination of brute force, election rigging, intimidation and politics of divisive tribalism and religion. Unfortunately as a people we have been outmanoeuvred by PDP’s ignoble but clever use of divide and rule propaganda. So even when things are being done wrong, the identity of the perpetrator and his tribe and religion become more important than the effect of the wrong doing on the larger society. A good friend and otherwise very sensible gentleman and also from the South-south agreed that things were not going well in Nigeria but chastised me for blaming or criticising President Jonathan, our ‘brother’ ( I am not Ijaw and neither is he). He angrily proclaimed that he did not care if Nigeria spoils and in words that are forever etched in my system – “others have spoilt Nigeria before- it is our turn to spoil Nigeria! After we have taken our turn then we can pay attention to doing things right”! A pure but sadly prevalent case of impassioned irrationality of the many that have been fooled by the divide and rule propaganda. This same friend of Urhobo extraction, when asked whether the governorship in Delta State will rotate to Delta North who have never held the position – angrily reminded me that democracy is a matter of numbers and so the minority Delta North should be democrats and perish the ambition! Such is the self-serving hypocrisy of a traumatized citizenry. In Akwa Ibom State, the Eket senatorial district is laying claim to the governorship in 2015 on the basis of rotation and fairness. PDP stalwart and Senator representing Uyo senatorial district, Ita Enang has proclaimed on behalf of the party that zoning, which he described as unknown to democracy has never been applied in Akwa Ibom! The Eket people have started reminding everyone, increasingly aggressively, that being the producers of the entire oil wealth of Akwa Ibom State, their quest to govern the state is not only meritorious it is also not negotiable! Sounds like a familiar narrative and if memory serves me right I remember my friend Senator Enang making the startling disclosure that northerners control 80% of Nigeria’s oil. I wonder how much of Akwa Ibom’s oil is controlled by non-Eket Akwa Ibomites!

    Forgive the detour of the above examples as it is necessary to illustrate the latent inconsistencies that have become part of the PDP and hence national fabric; inconsistencies manifested by the surfacing of strange tongues.

    Recent events in the PDP, especially the Rivers State situation, playing out in the recent Nigeria Governors Forum election and spiralling out of control is a manifestation of the irredeemable confusion in the party. It is my humble opinion that this is a signpost for the liberation of a hapless citizenry from the clutches of a power-crazed locust ruling elite. Nigerians have been speaking in different tongues and have been rendered unable to forge a common front to make the ruling elite subservient to the peoples wishes and interests. We have been kept divided because the ruling elite have forged an unholy unity in a quest for their own self-protection and selfish interests. Nothing signified this unholy unity of purpose more than the existence of a cohesive governors forum. The Rivers situation has resulted in the collapse of the governors forum. We the people should rejoice because although an unintended consequence, our freedom is nigh. That is the law of nature, confusion among our captors means we are able to break the shackles of induced divisions and re-establish the supremacy of peoples power. As K O Mbadiwe may have said – they are disuniting to unite us!

    A key component of democracy is elections and the acceptance of the majority rule. From the governors forum election, it has been clearly demonstrated that this is at variance with the PDP ethos. For them, it is either the way of the cabal or everything scatters! I will boldly predict that although PDP controls Nigeria, our dear country will not scatter, it is the PDP that will scatter! The boast of ruling Nigeria for the next 100 years (with or without our consent) is akin to building the tower of Babel and God having seen our helplessness has come to our rescue. That is why Governor Jang believes God made him the chairman of the governors forum, he is correct! And Nigerians should thank God! The history of Nigeria’s democracy when told in many years will feature PDP prominently, sadly for our country; it is episodes like the post election drama and the abduction of Governor Chris Ngige amongst several other shenanigans that will be of most interest.

     

    • Ukpong writes from Lagos.

  • The functions of state dysfunction

    The functions of state dysfunction

    (A call for a sovereign summit)

    Recent events, particularly the bizarre developments of the past fortnight and the unfolding fratricidal bloodletting within the ruling party, the PDP, make it mandatory to focus once again on the state of the Nigerian post-colonial state. The danger is not that the PDP might implode but that it might take nascent democracy and the nation itself along with its misbegotten debris.

    As it is today, the PDP is in total shambles, a power consortium bristling with buccaneers, political cannibals and other consorts of patronage and unearned privilege. It has never pretended to any higher ideal or superior nationalist agenda. It was born in perfidy and is dying in felony. Even by the miserable standards of party formation in post-independence Nigeria, this is quite a new low.

    At least its forebears withstood the ravages of their internal contradictions and remained essentially as parties until the military summarily disbanded them. But this is the first time in Nigeria’s history that a party is openly disembowelling itself for all to see. It is quite a gory sight, a gruesome enactment of political seppuku on a national scale. But as a people and a nation, we owe it a duty to posterity to prevent ourselves from being consumed in the inferno of its infamy.

    In its classical ideal, the state embodies and encodes the society along certain stern and immutable principles which guarantee the stability and survival of its territorial reach.. This means that the state orders and organises society for optimal self-actualisation. The more impersonal and transcendental the ideal, the more the state is able to function with impersonal rigour and transcendental efficiency.

    In some extremely well-organised and disciplined nations, the state radiates and emanates such rigour, ruthless efficiency and quiet terror that it often comes close to an Absolute Spirit or deity. In such societies, state worship becomes a national religion. The state is the Father and Law-giver. For the citizens, the fear of the state is the beginning of wisdom.

    The entire society is suffused with its ideological apparatuses. It is the ultimate Kabiyesi, firm but just and fair. In the old Kongo before the Belgian king arrived to do his genocidal bit, it was not for nothing that the state was known as Bula Matari or crusher of rocks. Anybody that stood in its way risked being crushed. But it also acted as a benevolent and indulgent father. .

    The perversities of the Nigerian state in its current incarnation make it imperative to raise a few posers if only for the mental health of those trapped in its territorial hellhole. Is state disarray a cover for something far more sinister going on? In other words, can a modern state benefit and in fact profit from its own disorganisation and disorientation?

    In a cheeky and perverse manner, this seems to be the case with the contemporary Nigerian state. The more disorganised and dissolute the state appears to be, the better organised and resolute it is in discharging its primary obligation and fundamental raison d’etre of plundering and evacuating the resources of the nation. Those who designed the colonial state as a vehicle of metropolitan predation must be chuckling in their graves. The Africans have managed to stay one step ahead.

    We have now come to the juncture in political theory where a functional value must be allocated to dysfunctionality whereby state dysfunction obeys only the logic of its own inner function as a scientific machine for primitive extraction and expropriation of national resources. A nation under such historic affliction acquires the veneer of modernity and civilisation whereas social cannibalism and Stone Age political savagery are the order of the day.

    Archaeologists of the future, while excavating the ruins of a gifted but doomed Black society, will be amused to no end at the remains of primitives clutching modern GSM phones or of some later day Rasputin still clasping at indices of phenomenal economic growth even as supervised carnage and spiritual barbarity were the norm.

    Contemporary Nigeria is a classic illustration of state dysfunction as the organising principle and primary function of the state. We have left behind the concept of the order in disorder so beloved of some prominent African political scientists. In that scheme of things, the disorder is often accidental, purely without design and the culmination of a march of folly of intellectually challenged rulers.

    In any serious and properly functioning democracy, a state of emergency is an emergency for the state. It means that the nation has entered uncharted waters, requiring extraordinary and out of the normal routine and measures. The entire political class and not just the ruling party must coalesce in a bipartisan front to confront the threat to the nation. But to treat a national emergency with the kind of grandiose buffoonery we have witnessed in the last fortnight points at some sinister war-gaming.

    At the last count, three northern states have become a theatre of war and emergency. This is in addition to several economic, political and religious flashpoints across the entire country. With this dire exigency, you would have expected those in power to stop digging. But they have been digging furiously.

    Last week, they added the scalp of the Sokoto state governor, Magatarkada Wamakko to the hunter’s bag. What this means is that the entire northern fringe of the nation is a roiling cauldron of insurrection and insubordination. The Sokoto state chapter of the PDP is in open revolt.

    The PDP northern senate caucus is up in arms. Governor Aliyu Babangida is rampart against federal authorities and rearing to go, even as Isa Yuguda of Bauchi makes discordant noise. As the entire north dissolves in political combustion, total emergency and possible civil war loom in the region. And this is going to be supervised by a Southern Commander in Chief and a Southern military commander.

    The ethnic sabre-rattlers and assorted power mongers who seem to have captured Goodluck Jonathan are egging him on. Their claim is that what is happening in the north is good and desirable for the nation, since the north has supervised the mismanagement of the country for so long. In the process, they have turned what is supposed to be a pan-Nigerian mandate into a narrow ethnic platform for the domination of Nigeria in perpetuity.

    Even if it were to be so that some northern leaders mismanaged Nigeria, the purveyors of this abject and objectionable canard have forgotten that their own forebears were permanently in bed with the oppressors while the particular ethnic nationality they now openly revile and traduce were in open and permanent revolt against injustice for as long as it lasted.

    In any case and unless their closet agenda is the balkanisation of Nigeria, they should realise that the current closure of the Nigerian state under the guise of equalisation of oppression can only lead to permanent warfare and instability. It will open the door to a new Robin round of terror whenever Jonathan leaves or is forced to leave power.

    The question that should now concern all patriotic Nigerians is why the nation is prone and vulnerable to periodic closures .under each ascendant group, particularly in post-military Nigeria. We saw this with Obasanjo and the pan-Nigerian cult of personality that finally unravelled his administration. We saw this with Yar’Adua and the provincial and backward looking feudal clique that attempted to seize power in the name of a mortally afflicted man. Now we are seeing its ultimate manifestation in the somnambulist farce of the Jonathan administration. History repeats itself indeed.

    We cannot blame a state for becoming a burden on a nation when this is what it was designed for in the first instance. This is the historic conundrum before Nigerians. The state is an alien contraption forcibly grafted on diverse and mutually incompatible nationalities and has continued to be so in all its post-colonial transformations and mutations.

    We must warn once again that elections alone cannot resolve the conundrum except as a tentative and token holding device to ward off the inevitable. In such circumstances, no genuine transformation can also take place without a fundamental reconfiguration of the state and a redesign of the nation. A sovereign gathering of nationals is inevitable for Nigeria. Whether we must continue to postpone it and prolong the misery and the biblical suffering of our people is an entirely different matter.

  • NGF crisis stalls PDP NEC meeting

    NGF crisis stalls PDP NEC meeting

    •Governors in fresh gang up against Tukur

    •Suspension of governors won’t lead to mass exodus from party—Metuh

     

    Fearing a backlash of the crisis sparked by the disputed election of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has put its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on hold.

    There are fears in the party’s hierarchy of a brewing revolt against its national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, by aggrieved members.

    In the vanguard of the alleged revolt against Tukur are some governors elected on the platform of the party.

    The governors and other aggrieved members it was gathered want Tukur removed for his management style which they claim is fast eroding the party’s cohesion and strength.

    The anti-Tukur forces are of the view that except something drastic is done to stop Tukur, the party will crumble sooner than later.

    Their aim is to act at the next NEC meeting.

    The last NEC meeting of PDP was held in July 2012 contrary to Article 31, Section 4 of the party’s constitution which says that ‘NEC shall meet at least once per quarter.’

    The G-84 comprises eight deputy members of the National Working Committee (NWC), 24 ex-officio, 37 state chairmen of PDP and some former leaders of the party had in January 9, 2013 raised the alarm over Tukur’s breach of the Constitution by not convening NEC meeting.

    They alleged that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party is turning into a cult with the exclusion of elected officers of the party.

    Investigation by our reporter showed that six months after the G-84 letter the PDP leadership is not disposed to convening the NEC meeting because of the crisis in the NGF. It was gathered that the party leadership has been receiving representations from NEC members that recourse to suspension of governors and party leaders could compound the crisis in PDP.

    It was learnt that some leaders of the party also felt that the NGF crisis and the attendant political problems could lead to a vote of no confidence on Tukur and the National Working Committee (NWC) at NEC meeting.

    Accordingly, Tukur has decided to bid his time until it is “safe” enough to hold NEC meeting.

    A party source said: “PDP is charged at the moment with the spate of suspensions here and there. No one is sure of who is next. Tukur, under this tension, cannot afford to convene a NEC meeting because members may pass a vote of no confidence on him.”So, Tukur is being tactical until he is able to clear the Augean stable he created. Twice now, the party leadership has pledged to convene NEC meeting and it failed.

    “If PDP holds NEC now, members will revolt because Tukur’s style is strange. The leaders who can win election for PDP are being suspended like school children. The party is abusing the disciplinary clause in its constitution.”

    Findings confirmed that some PDP governors have started ganging up against Tukur ahead of the next NEC meeting.

    Some NEC members have also teamed up with the affected governors to “prove a point to Tukur that he does not own the party.”

    Another source added: “These governors are concerned about the fate of PDP in 2015. They believe the party is sliding; they want to get Tukur out.

    “Some of these governors, who are not happy with Tukur’s style, might use NEC members in their states to “spring surprise” against the PDP National Chairman.

    “So, the governors might lobby NEC members to upstage Tukur at any time the NEC is convened.”

    But Tukur, who is aware of the tension in the party and the plot against him, has decided to put NEC on hold.

    When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Chief Olisah Metuh, said: “I am not in a position to say when NEC meeting will hold. I think the best person to say that is the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur,

    “We should have had the NEC meeting because it is a constitutional matter. But I know we are working towards it.”

    Asked if the NEC meeting was being put on hold because of the lingering crisis in the party over NGF election and the fears of Tukur being removed, Metuh said: “I don’t think so.

    “I won’t talk about NGF election. NGF is for governors, not for PDP.”

    Metuh debunked the insinuations that NEC meeting is delayed because of disciplinary action against some governors.

    He said disciplinary action was taken to assert the supremacy of the party.

    He added: “We are not punishing to sever relationship. We expected the suspended governors to respect the supremacy of the party.

    “The PDP Constitution provides for disciplinary action. The steps we have taken will bring these governors closer to the party than sending them away.

    “Although, these governors have done very well for the progress of the party, we have to invoke the disciplinary clause to make them to respect the party.

    “I don’t think any of the suspended governors will leave the party. As a matter of fact, each of the governors said he is not leaving PDP. The PDP only wanted them to understand and appreciate the supremacy of the party. We hope that after the suspension, they would have reconciled with the party.

    “We hope that very soon, there will be victory in Rivers, Sokoto and Abuja and we will all reunite as a party.”

  • 2015 elections: No automatic ticket in Rivers PDP, says factional chairman

    2015 elections: No automatic ticket in Rivers PDP, says factional chairman

    The proposed automatic tickets for some PDP elected public officials in the 2015 elections appear doomed in Rivers State,according to indications yesterday.

    The Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, Chief Antony Anenih, had last week advocated automatic tickets for President Goodluck Jonathan and those he called ‘performing’ first term governors and legislators with a view to averting rancour in the build up to the elections.

    But speaking yesterday, factional state chairman of the PDP, Chief Felix Obuah, said the fate of every aspirant would be determined by delegates at the primaries.

    He declared that there would be neither imposition of candidates nor intimidation of aspirants.

    Obuah, who spoke on the phone from Abuja, also admonished members of the PDP and all lovers of democracy to always give peace a chance and avoid heating up the polity.

    He said the party’s door is wide open to every Nigerian wishing to come on board.

    He said the 2011 governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Rivers State, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, and his counterpart of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sir Celestine Omehia, would be welcomed in the PDP.

    According to him, the party is ready to welcome them, having left some years back after feeling aggrieved.

    Sekibo, a former Transport Minister, who hails from Okrika, the headquarters of Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, and Omehia, a cousin of the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, who both hail from Ubima in Ikwerre LGA of the state, alleged massive rigging during the 2011 governorship election.

    Obuah said: “If Dr. Abiye Sekibo, Sir Celestine Omehia and others return to the PDP, they will be allowed to vie. But there will be no automatic ticket for anybody. We will ensure a level playing field. No favouritism. Everybody will be given equal opportunity.”

    Sekibo, on Thursday, dumped the main opposition part, ACN, “for personal reasons.”

    Although Sekibo is yet to declare for the PDP, sources said he has been fraternising with Obuah since his emergence as factional chairman.

    On his political future, Sekibo said: “The speculations are too many. I have to step back to evaluate what my next political move will be.”

  • Suspension: Court insists on Amaechi’s suit

    Suspension: Court insists on Amaechi’s suit

    A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on Thursday ruled that it has the jurisdiction to entertain the suit filed by Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, challenging his suspension from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The presiding judge, Justice Emmanuel Ogbuji, also adjourned the matter till July 8 for commencement of hearing.

    The party’s National Working Committee had on May 27 suspended Amaechi, who was recently re-elected as chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), over his refusal the reverse the suspension of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council executive council.

    The ruling followed two different motions filed by Mr. Donald Den Wigwe and Mr. Emmanuel Ukala, counsels to the PDP and its state chairman, Hon. Felix Obuah, respectively, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.

    Both Wigwe and Ukala insisted that whenever an issue of jurisdiction is raised by respondent/applicants, the court must first determine it before entertaining any other issue before it.

     

     

  • PDP suspends another governor as crises rage

    PDP suspends another governor as crises rage

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be sinking deeper into crises, with yesterday’s suspension of another governor.

    Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko was kicked out of the party – temporarily – for alleged insurbodination.

    He is the second governor elected on the platform of the party to be suspended. Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi was last month asked to stay away from the activities of the party.

    The PDP cited Wamakko’s “repeated breaches and disregard” for the party’s constitution as the reason for its action.

    National Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh declared the governor suspended in a statement he issued last night.

    Metuh said the decision was taken at the 338th meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) held same day.

    The ruling party said Wamakko had repeatedly ignored invitations and lawful directives by its NWC, showing apathy to the party’s affairs and contempt for an organ of the party.

    Metuh said: “Consequent upon the refusal of the governor to honour yet another invitation by the NWC to appear before it today, Wednesday, June 5, 2013 without any reason, the Committee, in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 57 (3), 57 (7), 58. 1(c ),(h), (f) and 59 (1),(2), hereby suspends the Executive Governor of Sokoto State, Dr. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, as a member of the party and refers the matter to the appropriate disciplinary committee of the party.

    “This is in furtherance of the determination of the leadership of the party to enforce discipline at all levels within the party”

    The PDP expressed worry about the state of the party and its members across the nation.

    PDP National Chairman Bamanga Tukur last weekend hinted of the plan to wield the big stick to rein in deviant chieftains of the party, including governors.

    In a statement, he said more members would soon be reprimanded for anti-party activities.

    Tukur expressed worry about allegations of anti-party activities being perpetrated by those holding key elective offices on its platform.

    “People say we have crisis in our party. It may appear so, but that also shows that democracy is at play in the way we conduct our affairs. We are a family and like any family, we can disagree and then we will agree.

    “We have mastered the game and that is the reason we have been keeping afloat. However, we are talking about discipline here. During the PDP Family Dinner, I emphasised on the necessity for party discipline in line with the vision of our founding fathers.

    “We have our Constitution to guide us in maintaining discipline. Our past failures to uphold discipline with sense of seriousness has been the reason some members act in very questionable manners. “

    “Today, everybody is talking about 2015 with expectations that we must win fairly and transparently. How can we achieve that if certain members of the party go against the rules with impunity, while nothing happens? We have had enough of inconsistencies and loose conducts, and today, we say that must stop,” Tukur said.

    A PDP Governors’ Forum was recently formed amid the crisis that engulfed the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). Many state chapters of the party are deep in wranglings. Even the NWC is wracked by a struggle for control.

    NGF Chairman Rotimi Amaechi has served a court order on the PDP to stay action on his suspension.

    But, despite the order, an 11-man PDP disciplinary committee invited memoranda from party members yesterday on Amaechi’s alleged anti-party activities.

    The party’s National Working Committee met on how to set aside the order.

    But, there are moves to reconcile President Goodluck Jonathan and the Rivers State governor. Some Southsouth chiefs have relocated to Abuja to explore the peace option.

    The chiefs have met with PDP National Chairman Bamanga Tukur, Amaechi and a prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark.

    A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt last Friday restrained PDP from taking further action against Amaechi, pending the hearing of a substantive suit challenging his suspension from the party.

    Mr. Justice Emmanuel Ogbuji’s order followed a preliminary application brought before the court by the governor’s lawyers, who were led by Mr. Akin Olujimi (SAN).

    The judge ordered PDP to appear before today.

    The court order was served on the PDP on Monday by a bailiff.

    It was gathered that the order was duly signed for at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja.

    The Disciplinary Committee said it was yet to get a copy of the order.

    A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The court order has been served on the PDP, it is left to the party to either respect the Judiciary or ignore it.

    “It is expected that the party leadership will bring the order to the notice of the disciplinary panel.

    “So far,the party is yet to direct the panel to stop sitting.”

    Another source said: “The NWC met on Wednesday on the court order and other issues. I think the party has decided to return to court to vacate the order of the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt.”

    But as the forces in the Presidency and the PDP have intensified their “plot to deal with Amaechi”, with some members of the House of Assembly telling in Abuja that they “are ready for the worst”.

    One of the lawmakers said: “Even if they are ready to expel all of us from the party, we will stand by Amaechi because he has served the state very well.

    “We have heard that they have voted billions of naira to give to us to remove Amaechi. We are ready, let them bring the billions.

    “What we can assure you is that we will display any amount they bring for Nigerians to see the waste of public resources.”

    The Southsouth chiefs have been in Abuja for two weeks, according to a source close to them.

    “They believe the crisis is not in the interest of the South-South’s aspiration to retain the presidency in 2015″, said the source, who added: “But the Southsouth chiefs have not been able to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan. I think some forces are shielding the President away from the chiefs in the last two weeks.

    “But the chiefs are optimistic that they can resolve the crisis of confidence between the President and the governor.”

  • PDP ready to wield the big stick, says Tukur

    PDP ready to wield the big stick, says Tukur

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday warned that it will not hesitate to wield the big stick against errant party members.

    Its National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukr, said the party would henceforth invoke relevant provisions of the party’s constitution against those he called “saboteurs and agents of destabilisation”.

    A statement in Abuja by his office quoted the party chairman as saying the party’s failure to punish past errant members was responsible for the rising cases of indiscipline in the ruling party.

    He added that failure of PDP to enforce its laws for whipping troublesome members into line had accounted for the crisis of confidence among members and the leadership.

    Tukur said: “People say we have crises in our party. It may appear so, but that also shows that democracy is at play in the way we conduct our affairs. We are a family and, like any family, we can disagree and then agree. We have mastered the game. That is the reason we have been afloat.

    “However, we are talking about discipline here. During the PDP family dinner, I emphasised the necessity for party discipline in line with the vision of our founding fathers.

    “We have our constitution to guide us in maintaining discipline. Our past failures to uphold discipline with every sense of seriousness has been the reason some members act in very questionable manners.

    “The party’s constitution has always been a veritable tool for promoting harmonious relationship and cohesion among members.

    “Everybody is talking about 2015 with the expectations that we must win fairly and transparently. How can we achieve that if certain members of the party go against the rules with impunity, while nothing happens?

    “We have had enough of inconsistencies and loose conducts. Today, we say that must stop, to avoid distractions in our desire to retain power by 2015.” The PDP chairman said the party has become weary of getting reports of anti-party activities against members in some states.

    According to him, the founding fathers were focused on raising the PDP into a formidable party that would promote justice, equity and fairness among its members.

    He said party discipline and supremacy, were also parts of the major planks upon which PDP was built.

    The chairman said having gone this far in entrenching democracy in Nigeria since 1999, the party’s main pre-occupation was to consolidate on the gains of democracy.

    Tukur said the presentation of a Mid-Term Report of stewardship by President Goodluck Jonathan was laudable and necessary.

    This, he added, offered Nigerians the opportunity to reflect on what the PDP administration had attained in the past two years to make the government do more.

     

  • PDP ready to wield the big stick – Tukur

    PDP ready to wield the big stick – Tukur

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not hesitate to wield the big stick against errant party members, the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has said.

    According to him, the party will henceforth invoke the relevant provisions of its constitution against those he described as “saboteurs and agents of destabilisation” among the membership.

    A statement from his office on Monday quoted the party chairman to have said that failure on the part of the PDP to discipline errant members in the past had been responsible for the rising cases of indiscipline in the ruling party.

    He added that failure of PDP to strictly enforce its laws for whipping troublesome members into line had accounted for the crisis of confidence among members and the leadership.

    Tukur said: “People say we have crises in our party. It may appear so, but that also shows that democracy is at play in the way we conduct our affairs. We are a family and like any family, we can disagree and then agree. We have mastered the game and that is the reason we have been keeping afloat.

    “However, we are talking about discipline here. During the PDP Family Dinner, I emphasised the necessity for party discipline in line with the vision of our founding fathers.

    “We have our constitution to guide us in maintaining discipline. Our past failures to uphold discipline with every sense of seriousness has been the reason some members act in very questionable manners.

    “The party’s constitution has always been a veritable tool for promoting harmonious relationship and cohesion among members.”