PDP Crisis: Kwankwaso’s Men Chide Tukur, Anenih

Signals from the volatile city of Kano Sunday night indicate that the current crisis rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may snow-ball into bloody confrontation as Elders Committee of the New PDP in Kano chided the Bamanga Tukur National Leadership for “raping democracy and militarizing the party.”

They also showed their anger over the decision of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and Board of Trustees (BOT) leaderships to consent to automatic ticket for President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Briefing Press Men after their meeting, Ambassador Kabiru Rabi’u accused Bamanga Tukur and Chief Tony Anenih of raping democracy.

In a Communiqu signed by Ambassador Kabiru and the Kano New PDP Elders” Committee Chairman, Alhaji Datti Wudiliwa, they said the Bamanga Tukur-led leadership,” is unpopular and has been a disaster for the party as he (Bamanga) pursues the policy of personal loyalty. And that policy will split our great party and will divide the governor’s ranks.

“We the elders of the party and the entire PDP family in Kano state, with one voice are saying “NO to the breach of PDP constitution wherein mercenaries have been put in place to discipline our members. We believe in the Rule of Law and the political structure of Nigeria and that of PDP which are based on the Rule of Law. But we are saying “NO” to politics of divide-and-rule. Our loyalty and that of our Governor is to the New PDP.” They also vowed to pursue and protect the interest of Kwankwaso with the last drop of their bloods.

Strongly condemning Bamanga Tukur’s leadership style, they said: “We have noted with grave concern the way and manner the party is being run by the National Working Committee under the leadership of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. Their actions in recent past are undemocratic, autocratic, selfish and military-like. The constitution of the party, sacred as it is supposed to be, was thrown to the dogs and actions were/are taken on the whims and caprices of leadership and his principal.”

They also opposed automatic ticket for President Goodluck Jonathan and registered their disppaointment over a statement credited to Chief Anenih in that regard.

“The statement credited to the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih that President Goodluck Jonathan and some Governors be given automatic ticket to contest in 2015 elections is not only undemocratic but a glaring case of contempt of court because there are existing court judgments in this case: Atiku Abubakar vs Peoples Democratic Party.

“The PDP policy of consensus arrangements and adoption rather than transparent election to produce candidates for all elective offices including presidency is totally unacceptable to us. It may be recalled that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was repeatedly in court to challenge this undemocratic arrangement, and that the court ruled that the policy is alien to the PDP and Nigerian constitution.

“More often than not, actions are taken in a rush without due regards to the party constitution, as it is the case of Governor Wammako of Sokoto state who was suspended and that decision was vacated few days later.

The suspension of Governor Amaechi is a clear case of rape of democracy.

He was accused on a very trivial issue and was suspended from the party by Mamanga Tukur without giving him opportunity to defend himself.

The Kwankwaso loyalists also recalled that, “the election of the chairman of the Governors’ Forum (NGF) of May 24, 2013 turned out to be such a rancorous affair that it ended up splitting the party right down the middle. Chief Rotimi Amaechi was elected under free and transparent election; but David Jonah Jang who the presiding officer said had lost the election is now claiming to be the chairman. He went ahead and opened a secretariat presumably with the support of the presidency.

“During inauguration of his secretariat, 16 Governors were in attendance. This confirmed that in truth, Amaechi actually scored 19 votes. Never in the history of democracy has the minority rule the majority,” they noted, adding that, “most Nigerians believe that the presidency engineered the crisis and is happy with it because it has a score to settle with Amaechi.”

They, however, declared total loyalty to Governor Kwankwaso, and pledged to, “support his position with regards to the Northern state Governors Forum, Nigeria Governors Forum. We are proud of our governor and all his achievements and what ever happened to him affects us all and the entire New PDP family in Kano state. We are ready to defend our able, dynamic and charismatic Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso even with the last drop of our blood.  They also disowned a Care-taker Committee in the state set up by the PDP National Headquarters, describing it as undemocratic, null and void.

“When the tenure of the state party executive expired, we wrote to the party headquarters requesting for fresh election. A date was fixed for the exercise but we waited for the Abuja delegation, but they didn’t come. The next thing we heard was that a Care-taker Committee has ben set up to over-see the affairs of the party in Kano state. This is totally unacceptable and we are challenging it in court,” they explained.