(http://peoplesdailyng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Alhaji-Baman-ga-Tukur.jpg) (http://peoplesdailyng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Alhaji-Baman-ga-Tukur.jpg)
- Five governors absent
- New exco emerges July 20
- 2015 presidency behind crises — Jang
By Lawrence Olaoye
Tension was doused yesterday as the embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, survived removal plot at the National Executive Committee (NEC).
This is coming as the PDP NEC passed a vote of confidence on President Goodluck Jonathan for his performance in the last two years that he has been in the saddle as the head of the executive arm of government. The vote of confidence motion was moved by the former Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu.
Prior to the NEC meeting, there were speculations that the PDP stakeholders, especially the governors on the platform of the party, have perfected plots to remove the National Chairman.
Tukur had recently come under severe attacks following the suspension of the Rivers state governor and a factional Chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF), Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi and his Sokoto state counterpart, Dr. Aliyu Matagakarda Wamakko.
A Presidential committee chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Dr. Anyim Pius Anyim, set up byPresident Goodluck Jonathan to investigate the crisis in the PDP however recommended Wamakko's recall. The Sokoto state governor was recalled and he attended the PDP NEC held in Abuja yesterday.
Two other members of the NWC, the National Auditor, Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju and the National Financial Secretary, Elder Bolaji Anani, equally survived the removal plot as they were both duly elected at the 2012 convention.
Some other members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) that were not properly elected at the 2012 party congress however were not that lucky as they turned in their resignation letters yesterday. Sixteen members of the NWC who resigned would have to re-contests for their positions at the July 20th PDP Special Congress.
Briefing newsmen on the outcome of the NEC meeting yesterday, Professor Jerry Gana, said the Committee accepted the resignation of the 8 NWC members and their deputies affected by the INEC report.
Five governors shun PDP NEC
Eighteen governors on the platform of the ruling party attended the NEC with only those of Bauchi, Ebonyi, Adamawa, Enugu and Rivers states conspicuously absent. Governor Rotimi Amaechi is currently serving a suspension term handed down to him by the leadership of the party.
Governors at the PDP NEC include those of Abia, Kogi, Ag. Taraba governor, Kaduna, Niger, Kwara, Kano, Bauchi, Gombe and Kebbi. Others are the governors of Cross Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Akwa-Ibom states.
Other important personalities at the meeting, apart from Presint Goodluck Jonathan and his Vice, Arc. Namadi Sambo, include the Senate President, David Mark and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and his Deputy, Emeka Ihedioha, and other principal officers of both chambers of the National Assembly.
Other notable personalities at the PDP NEC include the PDP Board of Trustees Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih, Chief Barnabas Gemade, Alhaji Musa Babayo, Chief Jim Nwobodo, Chief Bode George, Dr. Adamu Muazu, Alhaji Haliru Bello, Chief Adolphus Wabara, Professor Jerry Gana, Chief Ken Nnamani, Dr. Ahmed Gulak amongst others.
Sacked NWC members get replacement July 20
The PDP NEC has fixed fixed July 20 as the date for Special Convention to fill the positions made vacant by the resignation of some members of the party's National Working Committee (NWC). Professor Jerry Gana who briefed newsmen on the outcome of the NEC meeting yesterday said that guidelines for the congress would be made available having been approved by the NEC even as he disclosed that the delegates expected to participate in the Special Congress would be the same set of people that participated in the 2012 Congress.
According to him, the list of the delegates has been ratified by the NEC and their role at the Congress would be to properly ratify the NWC officials who resigned their appointments.
This means that there would be no congresses to elect new delegates at the state levels except in the a South West zone where its 2012 congress was challenged in court. The South West congress is expected to hold on the 11th of July.
Gana, who assured that the NEC would painstakingly observe all democratic process in order to avoid the mistakes of the past, disclosed that the Akwa-Ibom state governor, Barrister Godswill Akpabio, would deputize him as the chairman of the Convention Organizing Committee with the Deputy Senate President serving as the Secretary of the body.
He added that two delegates each would be on board the Organizing Committee to represent the 36 states of the federation but the modalities for the selection of the representatives would be made public at the appropriate time. The committee will meet today in Abuja to deliberate further on how to carry out its assignments.
The NEC has approved 21 names as interim replacement for those NWC members who resigned their positions. These include Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, Ag. Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Remi Akintoye, Ag. National Secretary, Sen. Emma Agboti, Deputy National Secretary, Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar, Ag. National Organising Secretary, Tony Ceasat Okeke, Sg. National Publicity Secretary and Simon D. Jok, Ag. National Legal Adviser.
Others include Ag. National Youth Leader Barr. Tanko Beji, Ag. National Woman Leader Barr. Oyibo Nwaneri, Ag. Deputy National Legal Adviser Barr. Yau Kwadon, Ag. Deputy National Youth Leader Hon. Peter Adefunmilayo, Ag. Deputy National Auditor Nasiru Ibrahim Birchi, Ag. Deputy National Women Leader Mrs. Torkwase Ajoh, Ag. National Treasurer Mohammed Dandari, Ag. Deputy National Organizing Secretary Onyemaechi Ikechukwu Jideofor.
Ag. Deputy National Financial Secretary Hon. Awalu Gwalabe, Ag. Deputy National Treasurer Chief Augustine Lugbenwei, Ag. Deputy National Publicity Secretary Calib Yahaya, Ag. Ex-Officio Chief Akin Taiwo, Ag. Ex-Officio Tope Ademiluyi, Ag. Ex-Officio Chief Mike Akinfenwa and Ag. Ex-Officio Hon. Gbenga Oduwaiye.
2015 Presidency behind NGF crises-Jang
Plateau State Governor and factional Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Jonah Jang, has said the quest for the 2015 Presintial ticket was responsible for the crises in the Peoples Democratic Party and the NGF.
He made the remark at the end of the meeting of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday.
"We know this whole thing is about 2015," he said. "But I want to let them know that 2015 is in the hands of God. Let us wait and see." Jang however insisted that he remained the authentic chairman of the NGF and promised to make peace with the other governors keeping away from the meetings presided over by him.
"In a big party such as this, you will expect these crises to happen," the governor further said. PDP is solid and if some opposition thinks they will use our members to break our ranks, they are wasting their time. By the time we finish our NEC meeting, PDP will come back stronger,'" he assured.
The post PDP NEC: Tukur survives sack (http://peoplesdailyng.com/pdp-nec-tukur-survives-sack/) appeared first on Peoples Daily Newspaper, Nigeria (http://peoplesdailyng.com).
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They are very fond of surviving whatever befalls them in that political party. They are bunch of confused people...