PDP crisis: How Tukur survived * … As party holds crucial meeting today Ahead of today’s crucial meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) National Executive Committee (NEC), facts emerged yesterday how Governors Godswill Akpabio, Emmanuel Uduaghan and Gabriel Suswan of Akwa Ibom, Delta and Benue states respectively, staved off possible sack of National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. The embattled national chairman had told reporters in Abuja on Tuesday that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) report shielded him from being removed. However, certain governors, especially those from the North-West mooted a vote-of-no-confidence on Tukur. The much awaited NEC meeting will hold at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. Today’s meeting is the second to be convened since the assumption of office by the Tukur-led National Working Committee (NWC) in March 2012. The last meeting of the NEC was held in July, 2012. One of the issues to be discussed at the meeting which promised to be stormy, is the implication of the INEC report that faulted the process adopted during the party’s national convention that led to the emergence of certain members of the NWC. Daily Sun learnt that the fate of the affected officers had been settled at a meeting of an organ of the party, the PDP national caucus held on Tuesday night. At the meeting, it was decided that the affected national officers would relinquish their positions for a mini- convention to be held on July 15, 2013. The resolution of the national caucus was expected to be tabled at the meeting of the Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting last night at the Presidential Villa, Abuja and would eventually be ratified by the NEC. Members of the NWC whose positions were voided by the 12-member INEC monitoring team led by Colonel M.K Hammanga (rtd), include Dr Sam Sam Jaja, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, Alhaji Garba Chiza, Mr. Olisa Metuh, and Mrs Kema Chikwe, Deputy National Chairman, National Organizing Secretary, National Youth Leader, National Publicity Secretary and National Woman Leader respectively. Seven others were also affected in the INEC damning report. But the document approved the elections of Tukur, the Financial Secretary, Bolaji Anani; the axed National Secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and the sacked National Auditor, Chief Bode Mustapha.National Publicity Secretary, Metuh, a lawyer, who was one of the national officers of the party affected by the INEC damning report, yesterday announced his resignation. Daily Sun also learnt that certain PDP governors who had since been elevated to being members of the national caucus ensured soft- landing for the embattled Tukur at the meeting of the party caucus. Among the group of pro-Jonathan governors who made passionate appeal for the embattled National Chairman, were the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum Chief Godswill Akpabio, Uduaghan and Suswam. The vote-of-no-confidence on Tukur which was mooted by certain governors, particularly from the North-West, who are disenchanted with his style of leadership, may have been warded off by Governor Akpabio, who met with members of the G-84, on Tuesday night and secured their support for Tukur, ahead of today’s crucial meeting. The G-84 is a forum for state chairmen and secretaries of the party across the 36 states. They are members of NEC. But as Tukur savours his victory, a group, the PDP Stakeholders’ Forum, yesterday kicked against the idea of a caretaker committee to administer the party, ahead of a mini- convention being scheduled for July 15, 2013 to replace members of the NWC, who are expected to vacate their offices after today’s NEC meeting. National Coordinator of the group, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, said that there was no provision for caretaker committee in the PDP 2012 Constitution, [as amended]. He quoted section 45(1) of the party’s Constitution to support his claim. Sections 45 (1-4) of the PDP 2012 Constitution, as amended reads: “If a national officer of the party is removed or resigns from office, he shall immediately hand over to the national secretary all records, files and other properties of the party in his possession; In the case of the national chairman, he shall hand over to the deputy national chairman who shall, without prejudice to section 45(6) of this Constitution, act as the national chairman pending the election of a replacement;
Posted on: Thu, 20 Jun 2013 09:12:21 +0000
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