•Say struggle for justice, change on course
By Emmanuel Nzomiwu Correspondent, Enugu
Abubakar Kawu Baraje
Governors of Jigawa and Kano states, Sule Lamido and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, respectively on Wednesday held a closed-door meeting in Dutse, Jigawa State capital, where they reaffirmed the support of 'G7 Governors' for the Abubakar Kawu Baraje-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The G7 Governors are part of leaders who broke away from the PDP at its mini-national convention in Abuja on August 31 following a disagreement with the Bamanga Tukur-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Speaking shortly after Wednesday's meeting that lasted for over two hours, the visiting Governor, Kwankwaso, said he was in Jigawa State to visit his senior colleague "as he (Lamido) severally visited me in Kano."
Kwankwaso disclosed further: "As you see we held a meeting and we had some discussion, especially bordering on development issues of the two states which have many in common.
"We are comparing notes to see how we can develop the two states being brothers and sisters; we were together as Kano State, and now Jigawa and Kano and still remain together."
Kwankwaso said the New PDP, as their own faction is known, would continue its struggle under the chairmanship of Baraje.
Commenting on an insinuation of his plan to decamp to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kwankwaso noted that "politics is a game of interest, the general interest not individual," adding, "The G7 struggle is for the collective interest and for the betterment of the democracy."
The Governor said he has all the documents legalising the ownership of his Abuja property which the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) is threatening to destroy.
"I have never been served with any notice to that respect, it is somebody who called me and told me about that," Kwankwaso said.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) has moved into the South East geo-political zone to galvanise support towards the 2015 general elections.
The party on Wednesday held its South East Stakeholders Committee meeting in Enugu to officially begin its activities in each of the five states in the zone.
Those who attended the meeting include the 11-member stakeholders committee per state and other members and supporters of the party in the zone and nearby states of the South-South.
According to a communiqué presented to journalists by the Zonal Secretary, Agha Okoro, after careful and detailed deliberations and submissions of reports from members as it concerns their states, local governments and wards, resolutions were reached thus:
"The various state committee members were mandated to identify all such individuals, groups and associations (old or new) who also operate in the name of PDP within the zone for the purposes of harmonisation of membership.
"The 11-man Stakeholders Committee per state of the zone or an enlargement or a harmonised version of it shall continue to administer the part in the various stages of the zone under the chairman and secretary as may be nominated by the committee members within them until congresses were held to elect exco members.
"In view of the aforementioned, we nominated one of the leaders of our party from Anambra State as the leader of the zone and Chris Agha Oko as the Zonal Secretary," the communique stated.
