� Pro-Jang governors may attend parley
� Tukur seeks support from new PDP officers
AS an indication that the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is far from over, Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State on Monday summoned a meeting of the Nigeria Governors� Forum (NGF) in Abuja for Wednesday.
Amaechi, like Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang, has been claiming to be the authentic chairman of the NGF since the group�s election of its leaders on May 23, 2013. Both governors belong to the PDP.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on Monday urged all new officers of the party to display absolute loyalty in order to prevent the party from drifting into destruction.
He said the observation by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the election of some members of the party�s NWC shows that the party follows rule of law, justice and fairness.
A notice made available to The Guardian in Abuja on Monday indicates that the NGF�s meeting would hold at the Rivers State Governor�s Lodge where the meeting always held prior to the rift that is tearing the forum apart.
Amaechi had in the wake of the imbroglio called on all the governors to come together for the good of the polity and the people who voted them to leadership positions.
The governor said: �It has become imperative for me to request my brother and Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State to remain within the confines of decorum and cease to impersonate me and to stop parading himself as NGF chairman. There is only one chairman of the forum, duly elected by a vote tally of 19:16 on Thursday, May 23, 2013.�
The notice of the meeting issued by a Press Officer of the NGF, Asokoro Secretariat, Chidimma Onyenalim, reads
in part: �There will be a meeting of Nigeria Governors� Forum (NGF) on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Time: 8.00 p.m. prompt. Venue: Rivers State Governor�s Lodge, No. 5 Justice Mohammed Bello Street, Asokoro, Abuja.�
Also, a Kano-based politician, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, has expressed concern over the rate of lawlessness allegedly orchestrated by the Presidency in Rivers State, saying if it persists, it is capable of undermining the country�s democracy.
Besides, the Political Adviser to the Plateau State governor, Nde Alexander Molwus, has described Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as �irresponsible and treacherous� if he actually played the ignominious role he claimed he did to cause crisis in the NGF.
The meeting of the NGF, according to political observers, is summoned on the insistence of Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State and some other northern governors who have remained resolute that their choice of who should be their chairman stands against all odds.
The Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso had last week challenged all that were in doubt as to the resolve of the governors, by further revealing their game plan on how Jang emerged as the only contestant to the chairmanship position to challenge the incumbent.
A source disclosed that the meeting would be attended by some governors from the Jang�s faction.
Mohammed who was the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives in the Second Republic enjoined the PDP to allow the rule of law and constituted authority to reign in Rivers State.
Referring to a similar situation in the First Republic in the old Western Region, he warned that the political witch-hunt against Amaechi would do more harm than good.
In a statement made available to The Guardian at the weekend, the fiery politician stated: �Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat its mistakes, so wrote George Santayana, the Spanish American philosopher (1863-1952). Current developments in PDP and especially in Rivers, bear an uncanny resemblance to the development in the old western region, which led to the collapse of the First Republic, with very serious and bloody consequences. Then and now, the popularly elected leaders of those parts of the country were prevented from exercising political power and control.�
Molwus� criticism came yesterday just as the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Abraham Yiljap, also said that Kwankwaso�s admission that he personally nominated Governor Jang and asked Governor Suswam of Benue to support his move only because �it was a game... clearly showed a mind luxuriating in unethical lyrics.�
Molwus said it was rather shameful that a man occupying the important office of a state governor as Kwankwaso would conduct himself in such a manner that suggested he could not be trusted, and did not have the presence of mind to appreciate what it meant for a leader to indulge in acts of dishonesty capable of affecting the progress and unity of the country.
Tukur spoke while inaugurating members of the party�s National Working Committee (NWC) who were appointed last Thursday by the National Executive Committee (NEC) on acting basis pending the election of substantive officers.
�We will now ask you to continue supporting this great party,� he said. �Our people have confidence in our party and in our leadership. So, make sure when you get out of here to also continue to spread the sermon of PDP. This umbrella is big enough to contain everybody in Nigeria and in the Diaspora.
�INEC noticed that there were defects in the election that was done. The circumstances, of course, led to the emergence of the present members of NWC. They are here to ensure that our party does what it could to follow the rules and regulations according to our constitution.�
Tukur continued: �It is important because our party is democratic and follows the rule of law anywhere. Our party believes in equity and justice, it does not believe in imposition or anything that is illegal. Our party belongs to all of us here - everybody.
�I thank you for being present here to witness another stage of PDP�s way of running its affairs according to the conscience of the collective mandate. There was no vacuum, all I want to assure here is that PDP is working, PDP is waxing strong, PDP is one family in terms of its administration. What we have done is to regulate and regularise what has been observed by INEC.�
He congratulated all former NWC members on their absolute support for the party, stating: �Those who resigned to make sure we regularise what was observed as irregular electoral practices are truly loyal members of this party.
�They have done well. We appreciate them and hope that they would continue supporting our party to follow the path of trust and justice so that we will move our country and really fulfill the mandate of the people ...�
Responding on behalf of the acting officers, a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche, who was sworn in as acting deputy national chairman, said: �I am indeed very pleased to speak on our behalf and to assure those present here that we have come to work closely with the chairman and to give him the maximum support to enable the PDP retain its position as the largest party in Africa.�
The new officers inaugurated included Nwuche (acting deputy national chairman), Dr. Remi Akintoye (acting secretary), Emma Agboti (deputy national secretary) and Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar (acting national organising secretary).
Others were Tony Okeke (acting national publicity secretary), Simon Jok (acting legal adviser), Tanko Beji (acting national youth leader) and Oyibo Nwaneri (acting national women leader). Also appointed in acting capacity were Yau Kwadon (deputy national legal adviser), Peter Adefunmilayo (deputy national youth leader) and Nasiru Ibrahim Birchi (deputy national auditor).
There were as well Mrs. Torkwase Ajoh (deputy national women leader), Mohammed Dandari (national treasurer), Onyemaechi Ikechukwu Jideofor (deputy national organising secretary), Awalu Gwalabe (deputy national financial secretary), Chief Augustine Lugbenwei (deputy national treasurer), Calib Yahaya (deputy national publicity secretary), Chief Akin Taiwo (ex-officio), Tope Ademiluyi (ex-officio), Chief Mike Akinfenwa (ex-officio) and Gbenga Oduwaiye (ex-officio).
Also yesterday, the NWC commended President Goodluck Jonathan and all NEC members for the success of the 61st NEC meeting, which held last week. According to NEC, which met yesterday, �the maturity and sincerity with which the President and other leaders of the party handled the leadership challenges facing the PDP has once more indicated that the party is ever capable of solving its problems, contrary to the doomsday prophecies of the opposition.�
A statement by the Acting National Publicity Secretary, Caeser Tony Okeke, declared: �We have said repeatedly that many voices but one resolution in the aftermath of wide consultation is the hallmark of democracy. In PDP, we disagree, we hold individual opinion but we agree and resolve our differences, and the party, as well as the polity, is better for it.
�The founding fathers of our great party have built the PDP as a melting pot. They enthroned the PDP as a platform where all Nigerians, irrespective of creed, race or political persuasion, would find expression. Thus, we have remained the strongest centripetal pull on the unity of the nation and so shall it continue.�
The statement added: �We, therefore, commend the President, the Vice President, members of Board of Trustees (BoT), leaders of the National Assembly, PDP state governors and other leaders of our great party at various levels for their sensitivity to this sacred responsibility incumbent on our mandate as custodian of Nigeria�s democracy.�
It further commended the resilience of other members of the party and assured that the leadership would continue to work assiduously to ensure that the transformation programmes of the PDP-led Federal Government are faithfully implemented to better the lot of all Nigerians.
Source: Guardian Newspaper http://www.theguardian.com/readNewsItem1.php?nid=14792
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