Why We’re Rescuing PDP From Jonathan, Tukur — New Factional Chairman, Baraje

NEW PDP FACTIONAL CHAIRMAN, KAWU BARAJE
NEW FACTIONAL CHAIRMAN OF PDP, KAWU BARAJE

The splinter group of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which stormed out of the Special National Convention earlier today and formed a ‘new PDP’, has given reasons for its action which came as a surprise to many.

The factional PDP, made up of at least seven state governors, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a former governor of Ondo State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, appointed Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje as the new factional chairman of PDP.

Meanwhile, the new faction is set to open its secretariat on Monday.

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Below is a full text of Mr. Baraje’s speech at a press briefing which held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

We address you today as leaders of PDP, who are worried by the increasing repression, restrictions of freedom of association, arbitrary suspension of members and other such violations of democratic principles by a faction of our party led by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

While we have done everything humanly possible to bring to the attention of critical stakeholders within the party the dangers inherent in the course being charted by that leadership, it has become very clear that the desperate permutations towards 2015 general elections have blinded certain people from the consequences of their actions.

Not only has the constitution of the party been serially  abused by Alhaji Tukur and his fellow travelers, all the organs of the party have been rendered virtually ineffectual by a few people who act as though above the law. Unfortunately, it is obvious that that they get encouragement from the presidency whose old calculations are geared towards shutting out any real or imagined opposition ahead of the party’s presidential primaries for the 2015 elections.

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. While the list of their violations of the tenets of our great party is long, we will highlight just a few:

The National Executive Committee of the PDP at its belated meeting of 20 June, 2013, approved 20 July, 2013, for the conduct of a special national convention.

However, that date was changed to August 31 without reverting to NEC (the only authority vested with such powers) by a few people, apparently acting on the authority of the presidency.

Notwithstanding the fact that INEC had noted that the PDP congresses in nine states were not properly conducted, the illegal delegates from such states are being paraded at the so-called convention being held today in a cynical attempt to circumvent the law and further bring the name of the party to disrepute.

In gross violation of the PDP constitution which stipulates that the NEC meeting must hold at least once in a quarter, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and a few people have been running the party like a personal fiefdom without recourse to that important decision-making organ of the party.

The NEC of the party accepted the resignation of the former members of the NWC whose offices were affected by INEC observations based principally on the agreement that the affected officers would be returned to their respective offices at the convention. However, against the decision of the NEC and in a not-so-clever bid to exclude some perceived opponents of the few powerful members, who are trying to hijack the party, these positions have been made Open to some Yes-men within the party.

Notwithstanding INEC instance that Senator Any Uba is the duly elected candidate of the party in Anambra State and against the background that he is so recognized by majority of our party members, the Bamanga Tukur-led Executives announced a purported suspension of Senator Uba and some other members close to him in defiance of subsisting court orders.

Despite that the PDP Constitution is very clear that the state chapter of the party cannot discipline a national officer, the Deputy National Chairman, Mr. Sam Jaja, has reportedly been dismissed by some renegades, who have hijacked the Rivers State chapter of our party with the connivance of the Bamanga Tukur leadership.

The persistent change in the list of the party’s delegates in many states as part of a deliberate attempt to rig the party’s nomination of candidates, especially at the presidential and gubernatorial levels, with a view to foisting on the PDP some unpopular candidates who are bound to lose at the polls.

The suspension, without due process of the Governors of Rivers and Sokoto states: Even when the illegal suspension on Sokoto State Governor has been lifted, the Rivers Governor remains purportedly suspended for no just cause.

The illegal dissolution of the Adamawa State chapter of the party is a clear abuse of power by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur thus causing confusion in his home state.

Given the foregoing, it is very clear that the Bamanga Tukur leadership cannot guarantee for our millions of party members democracy anchored on free choice and the rule of law. We have therefore taken it upon ourselves to rescue the party from their inept and dictatorial leadership.

It is indeed noteworthy that from 1999 to date, Nigerians have constantly voted the presidential candidates presented by our great party but not only dies such trust come wig enormous responsibility, we recognize that we cannot continue to take the people for granted.

From now, the new leadership of the party under us will strive to build a fairer as well as a more transparent and accountable PDP that will putty interest of members and indeed all the people of Nigeria above that of one single individual.

For all the members of our great party who may have become disillusioned by the anti-democratic tendencies of the Bamanga Tukur’s leadership, there is a new lease of life in the horizon. It’s a new day for the Peoples Democratic Party.

As we take over the leadership of the PDP, our immediate priority is to revive the culture of robust debate of all contending issues while providing a level-playing field for all our members. These were the ideals that differentiated our party from others and endeared us to Nigerians.

We are not, and have never been a political party where one man would be taking decisions for all members and where once you do not kowtow before the presidency, you are deemed a rebel that must be crushed. That is not the PDP bequeathed to us by our founding fathers. That, I dare say, is no longer what PDP under our leadership will represent from today.

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17 COMMENTS

  1. This Is highly satisfying knowing dat PDP is d only Party for now dat is widespread across d country which other parties av not achieved regardless of collaboration……there is nothing wrong wit PDP but d leaders

  2. D truth will alwys come out.GEJ is a deceiver n it wud follow him n bring him down.He signed a gentlemen agreement n shud abide by it finish.Power greedy theift president n sum fools ar backing him.d nigerian constitutions did nt hv anythin like zoning but is d PDP constitutions dat has dat n he GEJ is fully aware of dat n d agreement why is he ben trickish n wan 2 pay wit d agreement.So wen sum of u responddant tryin 2 bak GEJ,u shud ask abut wat happened b4 his party members allow him 2 run n contest 4 d higher seat. donjeff n smith dnt b self center n stupid.u guys shud find out who deceive who,n who is behaving like a big power druck fool whch is GEJ.

    • PDP is NOT the only party, fools like you can go to other party and realise your ambition and leave PDP alone. Why do you insist on PDP??? If you are NOT comfortable with PDP, LEAVE:: shikenan! GEJ must win!!! Come what may! Come sunshine, come rain, we are voting him:::

    • Aboki, your people ruled for years in the guise of military rule, dictating, plotting and counter plotting coups, nobody complained but now that a southerner is ruling, you are creating problems everywhere. Atiku is too over-ambitious, he will never rule this country, so will Lamido too and Amaechi will never be a Vice President. I think they just made victory easier for Jonathan.

  3. If GEJ wants 2 succeed by 2015 he shld pls do away wth akpabio,akpabio is d cause of wat is happenin 2 GEJ 2day negativly,if he had listen 2 wat GEJ said abt d NGF dis wouldnt av ben happenin,i mean dis problem of division in PDP wuldnt av been,so ma advice 2 GEJ is 2 send akpabio parkin so dat he can av peace and a chance 2 win d 2015 electn cos akpabio is a noice maker and nt a politician

  4. Yes this is a pro-active step in the right direction it’s high time the Tukur led Administration get dissolved, The world saw what happened in Rivers state the case of Amechi is a case study where illegalities have really Emcompassed the whole P.D.P and the Rule of Law subjected to a state of Ridicule,it’s highly un-acceptable,it’s high time we move forward and moreover for over 14years what has the P.D.P gotten within it’s kitty to offer Nigerians?,Let’s be Realistic for once Nigerians the P.D.P Umbrella didn’t only got torn but also the wind of change as blown it Away.

    • APC element what irregularity happened in Rivers State. You believed that some governors who are said to be loyal to the presidency, betrayed him and voted for Amaechi, but refused to believe that some members of Rivers state house of assembly believed to be loyal to Amaechi also betrayed him and impeached the speaker. If Amaechi is really sure of majority in the house of assembly, why are they happy that the house of rep have taken charge of the Rivers State house of assembly? why are the leaders of the River State house of assembly who are pro-Amaechi not bothered that they have taken over their positions they were constitutionally elected to hold? They know if the assembly is allowed to continue its activities, the impeachment will still take place with evidence to show to the whole world that not all that claimed to be pro-Amaechi are pro-Amaechi at heart. Some don’t just have the guts to stand up for what they believe in.

  5. My dear brothers and sisters in Nigeria al dis argument we arguing is not the Answer to Forward nigeria as it is, we the people of nigeria believe in tribalism/religiously we go for person that is only from our own interest that is what is killing us the people of nigeria and the people behind all this stupid things that is causing nigeria problem as 2day is our leaders we believe in Either GJE, Atiku, lamido, Ameechi etc who ever want to be the next future president. My Advise here to mostly the youth and others in nigeria my advise to them is them to beware and look to the forward of our great nation-state not the way backward to our great country. And for those who are using their selfish interest to stop the forward nigeria. Which the only solution to our problem is to pray to Almighty Allah to show us the way forward not backward and for dose who have been making noise abt who to be the next president or not who to be. We should please try and face our recent problem that is facing our great country which we losing talking abt ASUU, insecurity, unemployment etc this are thing we should be fighting for not who to become the next president which we all no we have more yrs for that.

    • Until power rotates, this time not south or north. But states by states, local government by local government, minority or majority. Then there will be peace. Those who have tasted power before should allow young to grow and behave like a truly elder statesmen. That is when Nigeria can move forward.
      Zone should be scrapped. . Nigerian constitution should be amended so that all political office holder – appointed or elected should not spend more two times in office i. e 4years x 2.