PDP crisis gets messier as NEC member berates governors’ forum

We’ll come out stronger from crisis, says Zamfara gov
A member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Abdullahi, has berated the PDP Governors Forum (PDPGF) for allegedly acting in a manner capable of exacerbating the crisis over the position of National Secretary.

However, Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State said the party’s decision to back Sunday Ude-Okoye as National Secretary remained valid, noting that the party would come out stronger from its crisis.

Abdullahi, who spoke in Abuja, yesterday, said this in response to the communique issued by the PDPGF after its meeting in Asaba, Delta State, on Friday.

The PDP governors threw their weight behind Ude-Okoye, one of the claimants for the position. They based their decision on the judgment of an Enugu State High Court, which was upheld by a Court of Appeal.

However, the party’s embattled National Secretary, Sen Samuel Anyanwu, who claims to be in possession of a stay of execution order from a Court of Appeal in Abuja, insists he remains the bonafide occupant of the office.

While reacting to these developments, Abdullahi faulted the PDP governors, describing the statement contained in their communique as “inflammatory.”

He said, “The use of communique in addressing a conflict within the party is not an appropriate step for such a dignified forum. The governors are supposed to deploy all internal conflict resolution mechanisms before resorting to public pronouncement.

The forum holds a place of honour and should discharge its duties in a fatherly manner.

“Again, disregarding the legal position of the matter in issuing a public statement of such nature, the governors appear to be exercising authority beyond their constitutional powers. Their opinion counts but cannot override the decision of the court of competent jurisdiction and that of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party which is a statutory organ of the party.”

LAWAL maintained that the PDP needed to learn from certain mistakes, noting that the resolution of the governors’ meeting in Delta showed that the party was making efforts to come out stronger to lead Nigeria to the promised land.

The Zamfara governor stated this in Ibadan, when he paid a condolence visit to the governor of Oyo State, ‘Seyi Makinde, over the death of his elder brother, Sunday Makinde.

He said: “Concerning what is going on in the PDP; in politics, there are always issues. With what happened in Delta two days ago, it shows we are making waves to be back to the people to lead this country.

“We [governors] are the leaders of this party. We have a say and whatever we say is what would be implemented.

There is nothing wrong with the PDP. The ongoing crisis is normal, and it happens like that in other parties too. So, it is nothing new. It is one of those things.”

Yesterday, Makinde also received the African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina; Minister of Livestock Development, Dr Idi Maiha and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Livestock Development, Idris Ajimobi; President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau and some members of the board.