Balarabe Musa quits active politics, steps down as PRP chairman

The National Chairman of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa, yesterday, informed party members of his decision to vacate his position for a younger person due to his failing health.

Musa, who made this known during the 54th meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, said: “Due to declining energy and failing health, it has become necessary for me to vacate the seat for younger and fresher blood.”

He, however, pledged his continuous and unflinching support to the party, pointing out that his successor should not just be a young man in age, but someone who is “robustly and combatively committed to all the ideals that our party, the PRP, has always stood for.”

He promised to be always “available for party assignments within the limits of my fading energy and failing health,” and thanked members for all the support given to him over the years, pleading with them to “render the same support to my successor. There is work to be done and all hands must be on deck.”

The former governor of Kaduna State reminded the incoming NEC members that the national secretariat of the party has proposed uniform guidelines for the 2018-2019 primaries and determining candidates at all levels of the party structure, explaining that the party took this measure because of the limited time frame within which it must conclude its primaries, which according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timetable, is October 7.

Musa warned that the guidelines were specific to next year’s elections only and may be modified as deemed fit for other subsequent elections, saying: “Under our party’s constitution, the NEC is empowered by Article Five, Section F, to issue such periodic guidelines.”

Musa further advised the PRP NEC to give state organs of the party, whether duly elected or protem, specific deadlines for the conduct of the primaries.