PDP's crisis deepens as Tukur stops Gana panel

The decision to suspend the action of the committee,  which had earlier fixed the national convention for August 31, was taken at an emergency meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP   in Abuja.

The same directive extends to Southwest congress slated for August 24.

The Gana-committee was empanelled to organise a special convention for the filling of vacant positions in the party.

The suspension directive was contained in  statement by the leadership of the party, after its NWC meeting on Monday.

The statement, signed by the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Tony Okeke,  cited anomalies and breaches of the party's constitution for the decision to suspend the convention.

The statement reads, 'In view of the anomalies and breaches of the constitution of the PDP observed in the actions so far taken by the Special National Convention Planning Committee, the NWC has directed the Committee to put on hold all activities relating to the Special South West Zonal Congresses and the Special National Convention, pending the regularisation of the anomalies and breaches so as to forestall a repeat of the events that affected the party's convention in 2012.

'Consequently, the dates recently announced by the Planning Committee are in the circumstances untenable.

'The NWC, with the view to resolving the protracted problems of the Anambra State chapter of the party, has resolved to invite major stakeholders in the state to an enlarged stakeholders' meeting on the 18th of July, 2013 to commence consultations towards finding a lasting solution to the problems of the party in the state, which will lead the party to a successful governorship primary election in the state.

'The NWC viewed with concern recent developments in Rivers State and also resolved to invite the National Vice Chairman, South South, to come and brief it to enable it take an informed decision that will lead to a prompt resolution of the crisis in the state'

Tukur has not hidden his disapproval  of  the activities of the committee since its inception.

For example, he refused to receive  Gana and Ekweremadu when they attempted to see him (Tukur) in his house on Wednesday because of the way the committee was handling its assignment.

Tukur does not  want majority of the former members of the NWC of the party, who resigned recently, to return.

Gana and Ekweremadu  were said to have begun moves to return the formal NWC to the PDP using the convention of the party where new members of the NWC are to be elected.

Twenty officers of the party, some of whom were members of the NWC, resigned from their offices during the meeting of the National Executive  Committee of the party on June 26 in Abuja.

Their resignation was as a result of a report by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which faulted the way the affected officers emerged at the May  24, 2012 national convention.

Tukur was said to have been happy with  the resignation and had  made up his mind  that none of the affected officers would return as NWC  members.

Apart from querying their loyalty,  Tukur was said to have confided in his close associates  that the former NWC members betrayed him  because they did not share his vision in the running of the party.

For example, he was said to have  expressed anger at the way all the NWC members, including the former National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, met and reversed a decision they jointly took on the state executive committee of the party in Adamawa State.

A close aide of Tukur said he was angry that some of the NWC members had penetrated the convention committee, thereby making it impossible for him (Tukur) to have his way in  his  determination to block their return.

The aide said, 'The chairman wants a new NWC, because he has this notion that the last NWC members were not loyal to him and President Goodluck Jonathan.

'He, therefore, wants the committee to rezone the offices, which will make it impossible for the former occupiers of the offices to return. But rather than work in tandem with this arrangement, Ekweremadu and Gana went to the media, saying the former zoning formula would remain. That is the bone of  contention.'

 
The party appears to be in dilemma over delegates in nine states voided by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The states are: Sokoto, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Lagos, Anambra, Katsina and Kano.

The INEC had, in a March 5, 2012 letter signed by the secretary to the commission, Alhaji Abdullahi Kaigama, declared that the 2012 ward congresses conducted in the nine states were flawed and, therefore, failed to meet requirements stipulated in the INEC guidelines.

In the said letter, which was addressed to the then Acting national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, INEC observed that the conduct of the congresses was marred by violence, non-compliance with the PDP constitution and approved INEC guidelines.

But at a news conference on Friday, the chairman of the PDP Special Convention Committee, Prof. Jerry Gana, said the same lists of delegates would be used at the August 31 convention.

This has heightened anxiety among party stakeholders on the possibility of INEC rejecting the lists of delegates from the affected states - a development that could invalidate the outcome of the convention if challenged in court.

The Gana committee is being hamstrung by the reality of the situation. An attempt by Gana and the secretary of the convention committee, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu to iron out the matter with the party leadership met a brick wall.

Gana and Ekweremadu went to see National Chairman Bamanga Tukur at his residence last Thursday, but security men at the gate prevented them from entering the premises.

The two party chiefs aborted the visit when they were told that the chairman had travelled to his country home in Adamawa State, but Tukur held a meeting with other members of the convention committee in his house a few hours later.

Reacting to the development at Friday's briefing, Gana said: 'It's true that the Deputy President of the Senate and I went to the chairman's house to see him. But we will not take up issues on that because we respect our party chairman. We are not going to discuss our party issues on the pages of newspapers.'

Apparently worried by the development, the convention committee is said to be considering fresh congresses in the nine states to address the lapses before the convention date.

The NWC is said to have accused the Gana Committee of attempting to usurp its functions, an accusation that had since been dispelled by Gana.

Another option open to the party is to bar delegates from the affected states from participating in the special convention. In that case, only statutory delegates from the affected states would be allowed allowed into the venue of the convention.

This option raises another fear on meeting the required quorum needed for the convention to hold.