Rejoinder: The PDP and the Game Changer or the Game Planner The attention of the Office of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu AdamuMu’azu, CON has been drawn to a sponsored statement credited to a faceless group, the National Democratic Frontiers in one of the national dailies on Tuesday, 26th August 2014. In their article, the sponsors of this nebulous group made several allegations against the PDP and the National Chairman. While the motive or otherwise of these persons are not entirely new to the leadership of the PDP as presently constituted, the two-page article clearly exposed the writer’s ignorance of the workings of the party and their desire to cause disaffection among the ranks and file of our members. We want to state here for the record that the name, the National Democratic Frontiers, which they claimed to represent, is neither registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) nor with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as an affiliate organization. In addition, the group has no website, no Facebook page and no internet footprints. Clearly, the organization is fake and does not exist. The same goes for the signatories. We therefore wish to bring to the notice of all Nigerians, particularly our Party members, the inconsistencies of this group which is an initiative of some individuals that are aggrieved by the present success story of our great party. Ordinarily, there would be no need to respond to the frivolous accusations from these faceless individuals who claimed to be the leaders of an unregistered group operating from a non-existing address. However, leaving this baseless allegation as it is, will not only leave a wrong impression in the minds of our teeming Party members nationwide and indeed all Nigerians; it may also give legitimacy to people that may fabricate lies to deceive unsuspecting members of the public. Nigerians will recall that following the resignation of our former Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, and on assumption of office as the National Chairman of our great party, Adamu Mu’azu has been working with his colleagues at the National Working Committee (NWC) and other party stakeholders to effectively return the party to the path of peace and tranquillity which is a clear and direct consequence of his all-inclusive method of party administration. The party under the leadership of Mu’azu and with the firmed support of Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, the leader of our party, the PDP has regained Ekiti State to our fold through the overwhelming victory of Mr. Ayodele Fayose. The party has also witnessed the return of party members who left on account of some grievances and this has created an environment for other distinguished Nigerians who wish to join the PDP to do so. Nigerians will not also forget in a hurry that Mu’azu has been an agent of change in the PDP. In Kano State, for example, when Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso decamped to the opposition, All Progressive Congress (APC), the new chairman was able to change the political equation of the state overnight when he convinced the former governor of the State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, now Minister of Education to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with millions of his supporters. A similar success story took place in Sokoto State when former Governor Attahiru Bafarawa dumped the All Progressive Congress (APC) and joined the PDP together with his teeming supporters and other members of the APC in Sokoto State. With this development, the PDP suddenly bounced back after the state had become predominantly APC with the defection of Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako. No right thinking individuals or any other Nigerians that have the party at heart would regard these developments in Kano and Sokoto states in negative light except those with ulterior motives aimed at weakening and destabilizing the party and the country in general. Amongst the most fallacious aspects of the story are the allegations on the PDP Chairman with respect to the recently concluded gubernatorial elections in Ekiti and Osun states. Surprisingly enough, the authors are quick to blame the chairman for the failure of PDP to emerge victorious in Osun State but they insist that the victory in Ekiti State was solely as a result of the efforts of the PDP gubernatorial candidate himself. We need to state categorically, as has been officially indicated by our party, that each election was a contest in which the PDP keenly contested, drawing support and motivation from different sources including the National Party leaders, the State PDP and the candidate’s campaign organization with all the different groups working closely together. Like all other competitions there were winners and losers in both cases. The PDP, while recognizing that not all elections are perfect, is happy that both elections were peacefully conducted as confirmed by INEC, party agents, local and international observers. Attributing our victory in Ekiti State to our candidate alone further clarifies our earlier position that the sponsors of this mischief are simply ignorant of the workings of the Party or that they are opposition elements that are aggrieved that the PDP defeated them and got back the gubernatorial seat in Ekiti State. In another seeming show of ignorance, the sponsors of this unfortunate article accused the National Chairman of mismanaging campaign funds intended for Osun election. Again, like all other allegations, the writers have no facts to back this and their claims are false. At the end of their article, the sponsors, in a seeming desperation to vilify the person of the Chairman, launch a final attack claiming that he is interested in the Presidency or the Vice Presidency position. Like all other allegations, there are no facts at all to substantiate this claim but it is an attack the authors hope will further discredit Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu. We wish to remind the sponsors of this mischief that the position of the chairman is not a suitable stepping stone for such an ambition. If it were, we would probably have seen many examples in the past history of the party when such a strategy was used. Furthermore, the Chairman has never stated in any private or public forum his desire to run for such prestigious office of the President or Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We are constrained to respond to this article in spite of its obvious lack of merit, the dubious nature of the group used and the obscurity of the writers. We have decided to use the same medium that the authors used for the benefit of our party members, teeming party supporters and the general public. We must state that we would not hesitate to take necessary actions in future to protect the integrity of the National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, the PDP, against such frivolous, libellous and unfounded allegations including legal recourse against the writers and their sponsors. While we welcome criticism from members of the PDP and non members alike, we wish to appeal to all individuals to check their facts and show some dignity in their agitations rather than resort to banal propaganda and clear falsehoods. We want to also use this opportunity once again to advise the sponsors of this nefarious act to come out with their original identity if their allegations are true. Otherwise, we are forced to believe as we have earlier stated that this is a clear manipulation of some desperate political elements whose prime agenda is to destabilize the Party and undermine our unity and cohesion. The National Chairman wishes to solicit the co-operation of all stakeholders in Nigeria and the PDP and to also call on all our party members to support our President, Dr. Gooluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, so that he can achieve his laudable Transformation Agenda. This is the time to put all our hands on deck and not a period for mischievous rumour mongering or baseless speculations and allegations. The National Chairman shall continue to provide the political environment to support all our elected officers to succeed in providing quality services to our people. And as we prepare for the General Elections in 2015, the Chairman wishes to urge all our party members to remain steadfast and very vigilant and will remain undaunted in the discharge of his duties. He will not be intimidated nor blackmailed by this unfortunate article. Akin Oyegoke S. A ICT to the National Chairman
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 20:39:29 +0000