2015: ‘Wamakko’s suspension’ll affect PDP candidates’

[PeoplesDaily]

From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), North- West Zonal Chairman, Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure, yesterday described the suspension of Sokoto state Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamako, as unfortunate. It will no doubt affect the candidature of PDP in the 2015 general elections.

According to him, Sokoto state is a very important state because nearly 100 percent of its citizens are PDP loyalists.

In an interview with newsmen in Kaduna, Kazuare said the national leadership of the party should have done a wide consultation before taking the decision to suspend the governor because there are enemies within the party.

He said that though the suspension of the Sokoto state Governor may not affect the party but it will definitely affect the candidature of the party in the next election.

"I am not saying they are wrong and I am not saying what they have done is wrong, but all I am saying there should have been a wide consultation before the action should be taken.

"For a governor of a state where we have 100 percent PDP supporters from the word up to National levels be suspended is sad. 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 he began to eat this person and that person.

"By the time everybody is finished then what will happen next. I am calling on our leaders in PDP to please save us from this situation we are in because we have a very strong rival and they are strong.

"The North West is 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.

"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 is only God that knows who will be the next president. Not you, not me not even anybody in Nigeria knows that."

On the clamour by the South-South leadership to retain the presidency come 2015 he said tha, "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 said you will be the king of your town tomorrow is not possible because we don't decide the future of this country. Whatever God decides is what will happen.

Reacting to what the PDP National Chairman Alhaji Bamanga Tukur on President Jonathan's contest in the next election, Kazaure said that, "the only thing is that the leader of party has said his own.

"He only said what he feels like saying and I don't have 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's constitution then you will know whether there will be primary or not or there will be consensus or not.

"It is not PDP that will decide because PDP is not a club but a party.

"The people are the one who gather to make a party from South-East, North- South-West if we all decide to say there will be no primary and the constitution says there should be primary then there will be primary," he said.

On the governors forum crisis, the Kazuare noted that, "as far as we are concerned, there is no Governors' Forum in the Constitution of Nigeria and there is no PDP Governors' Forum in the PDP's constitution."

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