PDP alleges plot to oust Tukur, NWC

[TGD]

 • ACN warns of crisis over 2015

STILL fuming at what they consider as a faulty national convention that produced Bamanga Tukur as the leader of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), some politicians are planning to remove him from office, according to the party's National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh.

Besides, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Sunday warned that the President Goodluck Jonathan's administration was promoting policies that would plunge the nation into crisis, scuttle the 2015 elections and even lead to the declaration of a state of emergency in some parts of the country.

But in a reaction to the ACN's position Sunday, the Presidential Spokesman, Reuben Abati, said the allegation was baseless since the Jonathan administration had a reputation of conducting credible polls.

A statement from Metuh said that the PDP had "uncovered plans by a tiny clique of undemocratic elements to use cohorts in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and bad eggs in the Judiciary to discredit its leadership and destabilise the party."

The statement reads in part: "We wish to alert Nigerians to a destructive plot by certain reactionary forces who working hand in glove with collaborators in the INEC have manufactured a spurious report, specifically aimed at destroying the credibility of the party's 2012 national convention which brought in the current National Working Committee (NWC) using judicial officers of questionable integrity.

"Such a maniacal re-visit of the 2012 national convention over a year after it was held to a popular acclaim of all party members was a measure of the desperation of some politicians to achieve selfish ambition even at the risk of destroying their party."

According to the statement, "till date, the PDP remains the only political party in the country that conducts transparent internal elections which start with the ward, local council and state congresses culminating in the national convention. The 2012 exercise was not only unique in the level of participation of party members but in the rancour-free, sports-like attitude which various contestants exhibited.

"The current NWC since inauguration has maintained a sound working rhythm with the members and critical stakeholders - the President, the National Assembly which the party controls and the PDP state governors whose newly-formed forum which the party's leadership engineered, is already sending cold shivers and causing collywobbles in the opposition camp."

Tukur's leadership of the PDP, which began just slightly a year ago, has been having very rough times.

From within the NWC itself, there were instances of cracks, which led to the controversial removal of Olagunsoye Oyinlola as party's National Secretary.

The ACN alleged that the PDP had started the race for 2015 "in earnest and it is a do-or-die affair."

"All means foul and unfair are on the table to cripple the opposition, by ensuring that nothing will be left of the integrity of its key leaders even if they are fortunate to make it to 2015."

The ACN National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, told reporters in Lagos yesterday that the PDP, keenly aware that it had failed Nigerians in the provision of social amenities and standard infrastructure, ensuring the security of lives and property, provision of jobs for teeming unemployed youths and generally ensuring better life for the people, "has decided to go for broke: either there will be no elections in 2015 or the polls will be conducted in an atmosphere of chaos, thereby paving the way for it to rig the elections."

Some of the events, according to Mohammed, that corroborate the party's position include the fact that the Boko Haram crisis which had been restricted to some parts of the North, was now extending to areas that have been largely peaceful, with suspected Boko Haram members arrested in Lagos, specifically at a house belonging to the government of Bayelsa State; the multi-billion naira contract for the protection of oil pipelines in the South-West region, the beneficiary of who is an individual who seeks to revive the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), formed by the respected statesman, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

He questioned whether the contract was meant to provide the seed money for the promoters of the UPN party and whether as it is being alleged in certain quarters, that the essence of the contract is to recruit 30,000 youths who become ready hands to foment violence on demand in the South-West.



The Guardian

[Folami David]

Whoever they want to remove i don't really care all we want is proper management all around the globe

[Folami David]

The crisis in that political party is not what they need right now. They are better things to think about