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Monday 2 September 2013

PDP Breaks Up - * Splinter Party Called "New PDP" * Atiku, Amaechi, 6 Northern Govs On Board



AFTER months of outbursts within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Saturday's special convention of the party eventually provided the needed platform for the emergence of a splinter group led by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
The splinter group, which calls itself the "New PDP," also has, as promoters, the seven governors who had allegedly formed a new political party and are seeking registration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under the name of Voice of the People. They include Governors Alhaji Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Alhaji Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Rotimi Amechi (Rivers). They also include prominent members of the newly registered Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) also led by Atiku.
At the Yar'Adua Centre, Abuja, Atiku, who led the governors and their supporters on a walkout from the Eagle Square venue of the PDP special convention, was announced at the leader.

It was gathered that Alhaji Atiku led the governors out of the convention, ostensibly to take the shine out of the event.
Sources said the walk out and announcement of the splinter group had been pre-planned to give them momentum towards getting the widest mileage from the media and Nigerians who were focused on the convention.
Former acting national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, who broke the news on the group's emergence, said he had been mandated to become the chairman. Announcing Atiku as leader of the party, Baraje added that former national secretary of the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is now Secretary-General of the "new PDP."
Baraje said the former deputy national secretary of the PDP, Sam Sam Jaja, would be the deputy national secretary of the new group.
He stated that names of more officers of the new PDP would be unveiled tomorrow (Monday). Baraje also said that, by Monday (tomorrow), the national secretariat of the party would also be made known.
The formation of the "new PDP", the "mandated chairman" noted is "the desire and wish of the people" asking the audience of the party supporters: "Have you accepted it? To which they chorused loudly, "Yeaaaaaaah."
Atiku, who spoke to the packed audience said: "Today is a very solid day in the lives of our party. It is also a day of mixed feelings. It will also be a day of happiness. It could also be a sad day. Sad because a party we conceived in 1998 to be a rallying point for all Nigerians, to be a source of unity, to be a party that would fulfill the aspirations of Nigerians, has today been dragged down by people who don't even understand what party politics is.
"For several times, I have tried to draw the attention of leaders of our party and leaders in government that this democratic dispensation is supposed to make things better for the people of this country.
"Let us not deceive ourselves; the country is full of frustration, full of anger, disappointment. Therefore, we have the responsibility to draw back and see how we can reform our great party for those lofty ideals, lofty purposes which the present leadership of the party cannot achieve. They cannot be achieved even by the Presidency.
"I have said it before (and I will say it again) because we are going in the wrong direction. We are losing the party. We are losing the government but for these very courageous steps we are taking here. When this idea was muted to me, I was really wondering when I would be able to see men with courage and determination that would get up, fully empowered for this abrupt decision.
"I will like to appeal to the all our party members who are sitting on the fence to join this new PDP. This new PDP, I want to assure you, would restore the value of the founding fathers of the party. Let me thank all of you for your display of courage and support because some people would be hiding elsewhere, saying we would not fight the government. Who is the government? You are the government. And by the grace of God, with your support, with your loyalty, the change will be achieved."
Enumerating the alleged misdeeds of the Tukur-led PDP that resulted in yesterday's break away, Baraje said: "The National Executive Committee of the PDP, at its belated meeting of June 20, 2013, approved July 230, 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 presently 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 Olsen to some Yes-men within the party.
"Notwithstanding INEC instance that Senator Andy Uba is the duly eke Ted candidate of the party in Anambra State and against the background that he is so recognised by the 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.
"There is 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.
'...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 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 did such trust come with enormous responsibility, we recognise that wee 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 put the 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 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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