PDP crisis: Kano elders slam Tukur, Anenih

MADUABUCHI NMERIBEH/Kano

More storms are gathering for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the Elders Committee of the New PDP, loyal to Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso in Kano, Northwest Nigeria, after a meeting Sunday night, passed a vote of no confidence on the Bamanga Tukur leadership.

In a Press Conference shortly after the meeting, Ambassador Kabiru Rabi’u told journalists that the PDP national leadership under Bamanga Tukur and Chief Tony Anenih as chairman, Board of Trustees, BOT, “has raped democracy.”

Reading a Communiqué signed by himself and the Kano New PDP Elders’ Committee Chairman, Alhaji Datti Wudiliwa, Kabiru stated that, “We have noted with grave concern the way and manner the party is being run by the National Working Committee under the leadership of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. Their actions in recent past are undemocratic, autocratic, selfish and military-like. The constitution of the party, sacred as it is supposed to be, was thrown to the dogs and actions were/are taken on the whims and caprices of leadership and his principal.”

Vehemently opposing automatic ticket for President Goodluck Jonathan, the New PDP Elders faulted Chief Anenih’s latest comments on the issue saying that, “the statement credited to the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih that President Goodluck Jonathan and some Governors be given automatic ticket to contest in 2015 elections is not only undemocratic but a glaring case of contempt of court because there are existing court judgments in this case: Atiku Abubakar vs Peoples Democratic Party.

“The PDP policy of consensus arrangements and ‘adoption’ rather than transparent election to produce candidates for all elective offices including presidency is totally unacceptable to us. It may be recalled that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was repeatedly in court to challenge this undemocratic arrangement, and that the court ruled that the policy is alien to the PDP and Nigerian constitution.”

The Kano New PDP Elders also faulted the setting up of a Care-taker Committee in the state by the national headquarters, describing it as undemocratic.

According to Kabiru, “when the tenure of the state party executives expired, we wrote to the party headquarters requesting for fresh election. A date was fixed for the exercise but we waited for the Abuja delegation, but they didn’t come. The next thing we heard was that a Care-taker Committee has ben set up to over-see the affairs of the party in Kano state. This is totally unacceptable and we are challenging it in court.”

Lamenting what they described as “undemocratic actions” of the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP, they said: “more often than not, actions are taken in a rush without due regards to the party constitution, as it is the case of Governor Wammako of Sokoto state who was suspended and that decision was vacated few days later. The suspension of Governor Amaechi is a clear case of rape of democracy. He was accused on a very trivial issue and was suspended from the party by Mamanga Tukur without giving him opportunity to defend himself.”

They further recalled that, “the election of the chairman of the Governors’ Forum (NGF) of May 24, 2013 turned out to be such a rancorous affair that it ended up splitting the party right down the middle. Chief Rotimi Amaechi was elected under free and transparent election; but David Jonah Jang who the presiding officer said had lost the election is now claiming to be the chairman. He went ahead and opened a secretariat presumably with the support of the presidency.

“During inauguration of his secretariat, 16 Governors were in attendance. This confirmed that in truth, Amaechi actually scored 19 votes. Never in the history of democracy has the minority rule the majority,” they noted, adding that, “most Nigerians believe that the presidency engineered the crisis and is happy with it because it has a score to settle with Amaechi.”

The party elders also declared total loyalty to Governor Kwankwaso, pledging to, “support his position with regards to the Northern state Governors Forum, Nigeria Governors Forum. We are proud of our governor and all his achievements and what ever happened to him affects us all and the entire New PDP family in Kano state. We are ready to defend our able, dynamic and charismatic Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso even with the last drop of our blood.”