THE G7 governors, on the platform of the New Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday painted a gloomy picture of the ongoing reconciliation efforts with the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP as it insisted that it would not back down unless President Jonathan honours the conditions it laid on the table for reconciliation.
The G7 position is coming amid clamour by some top members of the PDP to allow the opposing faction have their exit from the main fold, contending that their continued stay in the PDP would always give the leaders and the President some sleepless nights.
The deputy National Chairman of the party in the North West, Ambassador Ibrahim Musa Kazaure who spoke for the seven governors in Sokoto disclosed that up till now, indication was yet to emerge that the Bamanga Tukur led PDP was prepared to accept the terms of reconciliation the governors had listed.
The Governor of Jigawa state, Dr Sule Lamido who was also in Sokoto had earlier vowed that the G7 governors would continue to fight on and would never back down having been sure that the cause they have been fighting was just and pro-masses.
Lamido told a mammoth crowd in Sokoto where he went to commission projects that the G7 had saddled themselves with the task of rescuing the Nigerian democracy and the need to re-organise the PDP to make the party comply with the yearnings and aspiration of ordinary members.
He said the governors have only been fighting on the side of the masses of Nigeria whom he said had been misappropriated.
He said struggles by the G7 was also to ensure that no one, either at the federal or state levels would be able to stand in the way of the down trodden. The struggles, according to him was to ensure the return of Nigeria to the path of the truth, justice, equity, fair play and stability of Nigeria.
He said, “The media had referred to us as rebel. But we are not rebels at all. We are the true democrats. We are the custodians of democracy in the land. We are not for any ethnic or religious bias but fighting to make sure democracy in the nation does not die. We are fighting against the enemies of democracy and we don’t plan to give up on that struggle because what we are fighting for has not been actualized.
“I want to assure you that the group has come to stay until justice is restored in our party. I can see the banners of seven of us everywhere here in Sokoto. So we have come to stay.”
Kazaure who was at the airport in the company with Lamido said he spoke for the governor, the other six governors and all members of the new PDP members, insisting, “Anybody who tells you the differences have been settled is not saying the truth. If you call it war, I then will tell you that the war is still on because the offending group that decided to run the party against the constitution has not relented in its bid to remain lawless.
“We can only reconcile when the leadership of PDP accept that our party operates within its laws. We formed the party when most of them were not there and we won’t allow them hijack it and ruin our efforts.”
Kazaure said the PDP Chairman and his group had insisted the law won’t be followed. They sack and suspend leaders and members arbitrarily. They manage the party without recourse to the rules and constitution and we said no to that. That is the cause of the problem. So we have to insist that things be done lawfully and orderly.”
However, a stakeholder of the PDP in Adamawa, Senator Grace Folashade Bent had dismissed claims by the G7 governors, stating that they were rather undemocratic by allowing the issue of only one of them, Admiral Murtala Nyako to rule their conduct.
Bent in a chat with Nigerian Tribune said the PDP stakeholders in Adamawa could not understand the basis they allowed Nyako to lure them into a fight against the President of Nigeria and the Party which she said gave them the tickets to be governors.
She said the G7 had portrayed itself as undemocratic by failing to investigate the root of Nyako’s grievances with the PDP National Chairman, while they equally failed to give the PDP members in Adamawa fair hearing on the crises in the state which she stressed had snow balled into the current crisis within the PDP.
Bent blamed the governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi on the escalation of the crises in PDP, stating that as the Chairman of the Governors Forum, he had always been biased in his assessment of the issues within the party in respect of the interest of the governor of Adamawa state rather than being fair minded.
However, Kazaure denied claims that the fight and crack in the party was about who becomes the PDP presidential candidate in 2015, stating, “we have not come to that point in 2013. We should first have order in the party before we discuss who should be president or whatever. The issue now is entrenching the laws of the party.”
He dismissed suggestions on possibility of the New PDP forming a new party, stressing, “We own PDP and we formed it. We can’t run away from the party for those who were not there when we formed it. We can’t build a house and run away to allow cockroaches and rats to occupy it. PDP is our own and we are the authentic PDP, others are against democracy and we can’t leave the party for them. It is not possible.”
Both President Jonathan and the G7 Governors are expected to hold the second round of their reconciliation meeting on October 7, following which the two sides would decide whether or not to stay together under one umbrella.
Court rules on Oyinlola’s replacement as PDP national secretary Friday
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed Friday to deliver its ruling on an application seeking the replacement of the sacked national secretary of the People’s Democratic Party PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.
The PDP had initiated a contempt proceedings against Oyinlola and two others over his continued claim to being a National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP.
The proceedings was initiated by the Ogun State chapter of the PDP led by its Chairman, Adebayo Dayo and Secretary, Semiu Sodipo through their counsel, Ajibola Oluyede.
The action is aimed at committing Oyinlola and others to prison for allegedly flouting a subsisting judgment of the court, sacking the ex-governor as PDP’s National Secretary.
Joined with Oyinlola as alleged contemnors are factional Chairman of the party, Kawu Baraje and a former National Working Committee member, Sam Jaja.
The applicants argued that Oyinlola’s continued claim to being National Secretary of the PDP (including the purported new PDP) and his authorship of letters and notices in that capacity, amounted to deliberate violations of the court’s orders in its judgments of April 27, 2012 and January 11 this year.
They accused Baraje and Jaja of conspiring and aiding Oyinlola to flout the court’s orders, voiding his claim to the National Secretary seat of the party.
They also accused the alleged contemnors of acting to frustrate the outcome of Oyinlola’s appeal against the judgements by their actions.
The applicants are praying the court to commit Oyinlola, Baraje, Jaja to prison for one year or any period the court prefers as punishment for their action.
The Ogun State PDP has also applied to the court among others, an order compelling the party’s national body and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Professor Adewale Oladipo as its replacement for Oyinlola as the PDP’s National Secretary.
It also has prayed the court to accept the outcome of the extra-ordinary Southwest zonal congress held in Ibadan, Oyo State on March 13 ,where Prof Oladipo was elected to replace Oyinlola.
Named as defendants in this application are Oyinlola, PDP and INEC.
Arguing the application, the plaintiff’s counsel submitted that the court was empowered, under Order 48 Rule 4 of the court’s Civil Procedure Rules, to extend the time it stipulated for the taking of an action.
Although the defendants responded to the application and also filed written addresses, they were absent in court when the matter came up.
Oluyede argued that the defendants’ contention that the court was funtus officio having given a judgment in the case, was misplaced.
He submitted his client was not asking the court to vary the judgment, but to exercise its powers under Order 48 Rule 4 of the court’s Rules.
The presiding judge, Justice Abdul Kafarati deemed the defendants’s processes as adopted and adjourned to Friday for ruling.
The judge ordered the applicants to serve documents in relation to the contempt proceedings on the alleged contemnors, following which a date will be set for hearing.
Nigerian Tribune*
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