. Nwuche, others emerge new party officials
The National Executive Committee, NEC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday retained Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as the National Chairman of the party.
The NEC also ratified the 20 acting members of the National Working Committee, NWC, and accepted the resignation of eight of its national officers at a meeting in Abuja.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had said that the election of the affected eight national officers was irregular. Stakeholders, including governors, had been pushing for the removal of Tukur as national chairman, which informed why the NEC had not been held since last July until yesterday.
There had been fears in the party that the NEC would pass a vote of no confidence in Tukur. There were also reports that President Goodluck Jonathan had on Monday directed Tukur to resign from office. But in a spirited move, Tukur enlisted the support of major players in the party to save his job. The party's Board of Trustees, BoT, endorsed his retention on Wednesday night.
The meeting, which was attended by President Goodluck Jonathan, approved the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, as Acting Deputy National Chairman.
Other NWC members appointed in acting capacity pending the election of substantive officers include Acting National Secretary, Dr. Remi Akintoye; Acting Deputy National Secretary, Senator Emma Agboti; Acting National Organising Secretary, Yusuf Hamisu Abubarkar; Acting National Publicity Secretary, Tony Caeser Okeke; Acting National Legal Adviser, Simon Jok; Acting National Youth Leader, Hon. Mohammed Sa'ad and Acting National Women Leader, Mrs. Oyibo Nwaneri and eight deputies and four ex-officio members.
The NEC meeting, which started at 2p.m. also appointed Prof. Jerry Gana as the Chairman of the Special Convention Planning Committee, Akwa State Governor Godswill Akpabio as the Deputy Chairman while Senator Ike Ekweremmadu would serve as the Secretary.
All the 36 states will nominate two members to the committee. Briefing newsmen after the meeting, the former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, said the party accepted the resignation of the national officers affected by the INEC report.
He said the party approved the acting national officers and their deputies in order to avoid any vacuum in the running of the party affairs. e said that a special national convention would hold on July 11 to formally re-elect the sacked officers who contested the election in March 2012.
He said that another mini zonal convention would hold in the South- West on July 11, to elect candidates for the post of national secretary.
Speaking at the NEC meeting, the national chairman bemoaned some of the challenges facing the party include disrespect for party decisions, which he said has become a style.
He said: "Internal communication has considerably declined over the past years. "Glaring apathy to party funding by members is rife. I hope it is not a deliberate attempt to weaken the party leadership.
"Open confrontation with political administration exposes our political weaknesses. Fighting the party from within is unhealthy and dangerous for our image and aspirations.
"Overheating the polity because of inordinate ambition contradicts our perception for democratic orderliness. "Let us not forget that, we have an obligation to serve and serve the people very well.
Those who resort to tread the path of dismal performance should never underestimate the political awareness of Nigerians who keep track of every single political development in today's Nigeria."
Tukur said that part of the way forward was to end the disagreements in the party by closing ranks. He added that mechanisms had been provided to achieve unity at all levels of the party.
He said members should "resolve that internal democracy should triumph over the current practices of imposition of candidates during the party congresses thus collectively we sustain the political hopes and aspirations of Nigerians."
He added: "Considering our growth, strength and challenges over a period of time, we shall require a more expanded NWC for wider deliberations and conclusions; accept the need for the party to strategise more for improved relationship with the media; evaluate the impact of zoning principles in the party; consider the appointment of presidential liaison officers for all the states to coordinate the activities of federal establishments; oversee the non-PDP controlled states and create more avenues that will empower our supporters to live up to our expectations and prudently reassess the outcome of Edo and Ondo governorship elections and the need to embark on adequate preparations for other elections."
The Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Chief Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, commended the party for deeming it fit to form the forum, promising that the group would ensure that PDP gained more ground in the next general election. He said: "We want to commend the party for the formation of the PDP Governors Forum.
It is interesting to note that when we started in 1999, there was no need for the PDP Governors Forum, because as at time the PDP governors were over 33 and controlled the then Nigerian Governors' Forum, but over time because various disagreements and intrigues and scheming, which are part and parcel of politics, the rank and file of PDP governors kept depleting.
"When I became a governor in 2007, we were about 29 in number and through various court decisions; all of a sudden we have been reduced to a level where we are now, only 23. The party in its wisdom realised that we need to reduce the momentum of slide and begin a climb."
"We are ready to stand solidly behind the leader of the PDP in the nation. Mr. President, we have never failed in supporting any president in power.
"We always respect and support any president in power. When our late President Yar'Adua was in power, there was no single PDP governor that challenged him, either on the pages of newspaper or at any meeting. "Leadership comes from God and He gives it to whom He pleases. My assurance to you is that the 23 PDP governors are solidly behind you."
The meeting, which lasted for three hours was well attended. But conspicuously absent were governors from Ebonyi, Enugu, Adamawa and Benue states. Rivers States Governor RotimiAmaechi is on suspension.
National Mirror noted that for the first time since the formation of the PDP in 1998, eight substantive holders of top offices in the party's NWC formally resigned from their offices, paving way for the reconstitution of the party's national leadership. Deputies to the substantive office holders and all the ex-officio members from the South-West, who are ordinary members of NEC, also resigned. In the past, it was mainly the national chairmen who were forced to resign.
They included: Chief Barnabas Gemade, Dr. AuduOgbe, Vincent Ogbulafor, OkwesiliezeNwodo and Mohammed Bello Haliru. Under the current development, apart from the national chairman, Tukur; national financial secretary, Chief BolajiAnani and national auditor, AlhajiAdewaleAdeyanju, the other eight NWC members resigned and left the meeting venue.
Chief OlisaMetuh, the erstwhile national publicity secretary, who confirmed the development explained that "those of us who were affected by the concern expressed by INEC have resigned and we have left the NEC meeting venue because we are no longer NEC members by virtue of our resignation."
The NEC also passed a vote of confidence in President Jonathan, saying that the country has recorded significant progress in many sectors under his leadership.
In the confidence motion moved by Senator Ibrahim Mantu and unanimously adopted by all members of the committee at yesterday's PDP NEC meeting, the party commended Jonathan's "resolute and decisive tackling" of Nigeria's security challenges which, it said, had curbed terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria, particularly in the North-East geo-political zone
