The long-awaited meeting of the National Executive
Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) ended in an anti-climax Thursday without a
single word of dissent against the beleaguered
national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.
THISDAY gathered that Tukur was able to retain his
job due to the last minute horse-trading and
lobbying that took place throughout Wednesday to
ensure that the chairman was not removed.
Sources close to the presidency said the governors
loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan ensured that
they had most of the G84 members, especially the
state party chairmen, locked in by Wednesday night,
with most of them pledging not to upset the apple
cart at yesterday’s NEC meeting.
One presidency source said it was easy to get the
commitment of most of the members because the
anti-Jonathan governors such as Rabiu Kwankwaso
(Kano), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Murtala Nyako
(Adamawa) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger), were
rudderless without the support of opposition
governors from other parties.
He said: “The truth is that these so-called anti-
Jonathan governors are in the minority in the party.
During the election of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum
(NGF), they derived their support from the
opposition.
“But without them (opposition governors), these
governors could not muster the numbers to remove
Tukur.
"They had made Tukur’s removal a pre-condition for
them to support Jonathan. But after what happened
during the NGF election, it was best to err on the side
of caution as they could not be trusted.”
He said Aliyu Wamakko, the Sokoto State Governor,
Babangida Aliyu, and the deputy governors of Jigawa
and Kano States were all at yesterday’s NEC meeting
but failed to utter a word with respect to Tukur
during the 45-minute meeting.
However, there was tension prior to the meeting as
members walked in to take their places. But the
governors who had perfected the plans for the
meeting’s outcome did not arrive the venue until
about 30 minutes to the time it was scheduled to
commence.
Following their arrival, the president arrived at about
2.06 pm and was received by Tukur and other party
officials. Delegates who were expecting a heated
debate at the meeting were disappointed as the NEC
meeting was conducted without anyone raising a
single eyebrow.
Instead, the NEC meeting accepted the resignation of
the members of the National Working Committee
(NWC) and their deputies following a report of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
that their election did not comply with the party’s
guidelines.
The NEC, in accepting their resignation, immediately
instituted an interim NEC to help Tukur manage the
affairs of the party till July 20 when a special national
convention would be conducted.
Briefing the press after the NEC meeting, the
Chairman of the Special Convention Committee, Prof.
Jerry Gana, said the new interim members comprise
the acting Deputy National Chairman, Hon.
Chibudom Nwuche, who was deputy speaker in the
House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003;
acting National Secretary, Dr. Remi Akintoye; acting
Deputy National Secretary, Senator Emma Agboti;
acting National Organising Secretary Yusuf Hamisu
Abubakar; acting National Publicity Secretary Tony
Ceaser Okeke; acting National Legal Adviser Simon
D. Jok; and acting National Youth Leader, Mr. Tanko
Beji.
Others include: acting National Woman Leader Oyibo
Nwaneri; acting Deputy National Legal Adviser Yau
Kwadon; acting Deputy National Youth Leader, Hon.
Peter Adefunmilayo; acting Deputy National Auditor
Nasiru Ibrahim Birchi; acting Deputy National
Women Leader, Mrs. Torkwase Ajoh; acting National
Treasurer Mohammed Dandari; and acting Deputy
National Organising Secretary Onyemaechi
Ikechukwu Jideofor.
Other interim members are acting Deputy National
Financial Secretary, Hon. Awalu Gwalabe; acting
Deputy National Treasurer, Chief Augustine
Lugbenwei; acting Deputy National Publicity
Secretary Calib Yahaya; acting Ex-Officio, Chief Akin
Taiwo; acting Ex-Officio Tope Ademiluyi; acting Ex-
Officio, Chief Mike Akinfenwa; and acting Ex-Officio,
Hon. Gbenga Oduwaiye.
Gana, who announced that the special national
convention would take place on July 20, said he had
been appointed chairman of the convention
committee, with Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill
Akpabio as deputy chairman. He also said Deputy
Senate President Ike Ekweremadu will serve as the
secretary of the special convention.
He added that zonal congresses would take place
only in the south-west on July 11, while all the
delegates of the national convention of March 24,
2012 would remain delegates to the July 20 special
convention.
Gana said other members of the special convention
would be announced later.
According to Gana, “The committee will by Friday
write a letter informing INEC of the decision of the
PDP NEC-in-session and also write to inform the
commission of the special national convention in line
with the Electoral Act, Section 85 states that any
political party holding convention must give 21 days
notice.”
The former Minister of Information added that the
former deputy senate president, Senator Ibrahim
Mantu, moved a motion of vote of confidence on the
president’s successful mid-term report, adding that
the motion was successfully adopted by all the
delegates at the NEC meeting.
In the confidence motion moved by Mantu and
unanimously adopted by all members at the NEC
meeting, the party commended Jonathan’s “resolute
and decisive tackling” of Nigeria’s security
challenges which, it said, had curbed terrorism and
insurgency in Nigeria, particularly in the north-east
geo-political zone.
“The PDP also applauded ongoing reforms and
development in the country, especially those in the
agricultural, aviation, transportation, and education
sectors,” he said, adding that it was apparent that
the president’s agenda for national transformation
was being diligently implemented and that Nigerians
were better for it.
The party also commended Jonathan’s strict
adherence to the rule of law as well as his protection
and defence of the constitution.
“The president is discharging his mandate to the
appreciation of Nigerians that overwhelmingly voted
for him in the 2011 general election.
“It is therefore in view of the above that members of
the National Executive Committee of our great party
do hereby pass a vote of confidence on the President,
Commander-in-Chief, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan,
GCFR,” the motion stated.
One thing that was evident from the body language
of the NEC members was that the NWC members
and their deputies who had resigned would most
likely get re-elected on July 20.
Confirming this, a source said: “What we did by
accepting their resignation is to abide by the INEC
report and allow them to go back and re-contest.
“This is why the NEC approved that all the delegates
of the March 24, 2012 national convention be ratified
as delegates for the July 20 convention.”
The NEC meeting was attended by the governors of
Akwa Ibom, Sokoto, Kogi, Taraba, Kaduna and Niger
States, and deputy governors of Jigawa, Katsina,
Kano, Kwara, Kebbi, Gombe, Bauchi and Cross River
States.
Only the governors of Enugu, Ebonyi, Adamawa and
Benue States were absent, while the Rivers State
Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, was absent because of
his suspension by the party.
Nyako was also not at the meeting, while the state
faction loyal to the governor and led by Kaugama
Mujinjwa was not allowed in, as only the Joel Madaki
faction was allowed into the meeting.
Other members of PDP in NEC at the meeting
included the Senate President, David Mark;
Ekweremadu; Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; Deputy
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka
Ihedioha; and Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees
(BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, among others.
Meanwhile, at the commencement of the meeting,
the president had advocated a two-party structure in
Nigeria, explaining that it would help stabilise the
polity and end the unnecessary quest for the
registration of new political parties before elections.
The president said: “We will encourage political
parties to come together more. We want a situation
where it is PDP versus one. In that case, the polity
will be more stable.
“Even our members will be more loyal to the party
because you will have nowhere to go, because right
now, immediately we disagree in PDP, somebody is
picking a form in one PPP or DDD party and
contesting for the state House of Assembly or House
of Reps or Senate.
“But when we have only two parties, before you get
there, other candidates would have occupied that
place. So, even if we disagree, we will make up our
differences at the end of the day and it will even help
to build a stronger party.
“So Nigerians should commend PDP. If PDP were
weak, people wouldn't have gathered together. There
wouldn't have been any reason for parties to come
together to fight PDP.
“But when you have so many parties on their own,
they know they cannot face us until they come
together, then you know that we are formidable.”
The president said the party has to work to ensure
that it has more than 23 governors in the next
election, saying: “We must build up. At the time of
formation of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the focus
was slightly different. In every organisation, over the
years, there must be some change in direction.
“So looking at the number of PDP governors vis-a-vis
the total number of governors, it became very clear
that the PDP needed to have its own forum because
we realised that some of the other political parties,
their governors used to meet before coming for
general NGF meeting.
“But PDP being the elephant did not really bother
much. But over time, we have realised that there is
need for PDP governors to also meet because politics
is politics. Politics is a game of interest.
“I remember the first time I read Obasanjo's book,
My Command, in 1981 and he said in the book that
in politics, there is nothing like permanent friends or
permanent enemies but permanent interests.
“I believe even in local politics, interests matter a lot.
There is no permanent friend; no permanent enemy
but permanent interest and as long as people have
different interests, there must be disagreements.
“But as a member of a political party, we must know
that no matter what, the party's interests must
supersede any other interest. At the end of the day,
all our interests will converge to one interest, that is
the interest of PDP.”
The president promised that he and his deputy,
Namadi Sambo, as well as members of their team,
would not disappoint the party.
“We must make sure that anytime PDP has any
reason to campaign, we must have a reference point,
we have solid materials to show. We have not
reached where we want to go, no doubt about that.
But we are totally committed that we must move this
country to where we want our children to be and we
need the maximum cooperation of every member of
our party,” he said.
Tukur, in his welcome address, charged members of
the party to ensure discipline at all times and
rededicate themselves to the affairs of the party.
He said: “In our efforts to achieve success, we must
rededicate our genuine political beliefs, change our
attitudes and identify our political needs.
“These good values cannot be realised without
accepting the supremacy of the party constitution as
a key instrument that ensures progress, stability and
internal discipline.”
Tukur, whose speech was interrupted with applause,
added: “We must strengthen our democracy through
determination not personalisation, correction not
manipulation, collectivism not individualism, and
sacrifice not disservice.
“If these pronouncements are substantial, then, the
party should quickly take urgent steps to achieve
higher levels at least by coming to terms with
democratic norms and practices.”
On the challenges facing PDP as a political party,
Tukur said: “It is important to note that the party all
this while struggles for support to effect the
necessary changes that can stop cases of disrespect
to party decisions, which has become the norm.
“Internal communication has considerably declined
over the past few years. Glaring apathy to party
funding by members is rife and I hope it is not a
deliberate attempt to weaken the party leadership.
“Open confrontation with political administration
exposes our political weaknesses. Fighting the party
from within is unhealthy and dangerous for our
image and aspirations. Overheating the polity
because of inordinate ambition contradicts our
perception for democratic orderliness.”
Tukur lauded the president, describing him as “our
symbol”. He said the president must be respected
and treated with dignity, as “undermining the leader
for no just reason cannot bring us good results.
“This observation is necessary to remind PDP
members that we owe ourselves a duty to protect,
project and support our president to leave behind a
lasting legacy for Nigerians.”
In his speech, Akpabio assured Jonathan of the
support of all PDP governors, explaining that as the
governors respected the late President Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua, so the respect must be extended to him.
T

This nest of vipers must be destroyed.

Same of the same