Wamakko’s suspension dangerous – N’ West PDP

[SunNews]

... Sokoto PDP disowns national secretariat

From NOAH EBIJE, Kaduna

Apparently irked by the suspension of Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the national body, the North West zone of the party has pulled its weight behind the Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido should he (Lamido) take a shot at the presidential race in 2015.

The zonal party leadership advised that the ruling party should not be in an illusion that no member could contest primary elections with the incumbent, pointing out that there was no right thinking Nigerian who would not like to identify with quality and purposeful leadership for the progress of the country.

The North-West Chairman of the party, Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure told newsmen in an interview yesterday at the venue of the northern governors' meeting that PDP at the national level was shooting its self in the foot by suspending its key members arbitrarily across the country. Meanwhile, the Sokoto State chapter of the PDP has disowned the national secretariat of the party and pledged its loyalty to Governor Aliyu Wamakko.

At a press conference in Sokoto attended by its chairman and other state executive members of the party, the state PDP leaders dissociated themselves from the decision of the national body, saying they would not recognise the suspension of the governor.

They blamed the national secretariat for acting on rumours spread by Abuja-based Sokoto politicians. Kazaure said PDP was making a very big mistake by toying with a crowd puller from the zone, stressing that Wamakko's suspension lacked wider consultation before it was carried out.

He said: "Sule Lamido is a Nigerian and has all the qualities to contest any position. The constitution gave him that mandate to contest any election. So it is not the issue of my view but the views of Nigerians.

Go to Jigawa State and compare it to 60 years ago with the current leadership now then you can tell me what you saw.

"I am calling on our leaders in PDP to please save us from the situation we are in because we have a very strong rival and they are strong. North-West is one zone, is the largest PDP zone in the country, even in the National Assembly. We have seven governors in the zone, so it is not a zone you can play with.

"If we all decide to say there will be no primary election and the constitution says there should be primary, then there will be primary. As far as we are concerned, there is no governors' forum in the constitution of Nigeria and there are PDP governors in the PDP's constitution.

"The suspension of Governor Wamakko of Sokoto State is unfortunate, very unfortunate. We would have done a wide consultation because we have enemies within. PDP is a party not a club. It has its constitution. "I am not saying they are wrong, I am not saying what they have done is wrong but all I am saying is that there should have been a wide consultation before the action is taken.

This is why I am sad. "I don't think his suspension will affect the PDP but it will affect the candidature of the PDP because PDP as a party will remain a party because it is not a club. PDP gets stronger day by day. But the unfortunate thing is that when you train a lion and it begins to eat this person and that person.

By the time everybody is finished, what will happen next? "I am sorry for what happened but I hope the leaders will think about it. Religious sentiment is out of my dictionary, God has already ordained who will be the next president. All these we are doing its only God that knows who will be the next president. Not you, not me, not even anybody in Nigeria know.

"The South-South that is talking should understand that it was somebody that died and somebody took it. Do you know what will happen tomorrow? You don't know.

"Only God knows what will happen tomorrow even if I say you will be the king of your town tomorrow, it may not be possible because we don't decide the future of this country. Whatever God decides is what will happen. "The only thing is that the leader of the party has said his own."

He only said what he feels like saying and I don't have any right to stop him because he is the leader of the party but the constitution of the party is there. When you read the party constitution then you will know whether there will be primary or not or there will be consensus or not.

It is not what PDP will decide because PDP is not a club but a party. The people are the one who gathered to make a party from South-East, North and South-West."

Via: Sun News Online

[Folami David]

I agree it might be suspension but then if people knew about this then why was it activated in the first instance.