PDP Splits as Atiku, Seven Governors Form ‘New PDP’

 Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar

By Chuks Okocha and Mohammed Bello

•Names Baraje chairman, Oyinlola secretary

•They're treacherous, says Bamanga Tukur

On a day it marked the 15th anniversary of its creation, the political behemoth Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been factionalised.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, six Northern governors and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi yesterday announced the formation of a splinter group from the main PDP.

The Northern state governors involved are those of Niger, Babangida Aliyu; Sokoto, Aliyu Wammako; Jigawa, Sule Lamido; Kano, Rabiu Musa Kwankawanso; Adamawa, Muritala Nyako, and Kwara, Abdulfatai Ahmed.

The formation of the splinter group was hinged on the emergence of a ‘Unity List’ at the special national convention of PDP held in Abuja, which allegedly left out the names of some supporters of the seven governors from contesting.

As the chairman of the convention Electoral Committee, former Senate President Ken Nnamani, announced the names of candidates for election at the convention, which excluded most of the names of allies of the Northern governors and that of Dr. Sam Sam Jaja from Rivers who was to contest for the office of the deputy national chairman, the governors stormed out of the convention venue.

One by one, the Northern governors left the Eagle Square, Abuja venue of the convention.

They were to re-emerge along with Amaechi at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Conference Centre, a short distance from the convention venue, where they addressed a news conference.

Former PDP acting National Chairman Kawu Baraje was named the national chairman of the ‘New PDP’, former PDP Deputy National Chairman Sam Jaja - deputy national chairman - while former Osun State governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who was recently removed as PDP National Secretary on the orders of the court, emerged as national secretary.

All of them were at the conference and acknowledged their new positions.

Baraje, who addressed the press conference, said that the "New PDP" members were “worried by the increasing repression, restriction of freedom of association, arbitrary suspension of members and other such violations of democratic principles by a faction of our party led by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

“While we have done everything humanly possible to bring to the attention of critical stakeholders within the party the dangers inherent in the course being charted by that leadership, it has become very clear that the desperate permutations towards 2015 general elections have blinded certain people from the consequences of their actions."

Baraje identified violations of the PDP constitution committed by the Tukur leadership to include change of the date for the special convention from July 20 to August 31 without reverting to the National Executive Committee of the party, “the only authority vested with such powers;”

recognition of delegates to the convention from nine states whose congresses the Independent National Electoral Commission had rejected; and jettisoning of the party’s constitutional requirement for the holding of at least one NEC meeting in a quarter.

Others include abandonment of an understanding to return at the convention National Working Committee members affected by the INEC report that had rejected the election of 14 of the 16 members of the committee, on account of their perceived opposition to the president; recognition of Tony Nwoye as PDP’s governorship candidate in the November 16 election in Anambra State, despite the position of INEC and the courts that Andy Uba was the duly elected candidate; expulsion of a national officer of the party, Sam Sam Jaja, “by some renegades  who have hijacked the Rivers State chapter,” contrary to the PDP constitution; illegal suspension of Wamakko – though he has been recalled – and Amaechi; and illegal dissolution of the Adamawa State chapter of PDP. 

Also speaking, Atiku said the happenings in PDP were, “Sad because the party we conceived in 1998 to be a rallying point for all Nigerians, to be a source of unity, to be a party that will fulfil  the aspirations of Nigerians, has today be dragged down by people who don't even understand what party politics is all about.”

He said he had on several occasions drawn the attention of the leaders of the party and the government to the “wrong direction” the country was going on their watch, but such counsels had fallen on deaf ears.

The former vice president praised the factional members for their “courageous” move to reclaim the party and called on other PDP members to “join this new PDP.”

At the beginning of the press conference, former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and Oyinlola gave the Muslim and Christian opening prayers respectively.

The Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Muhktar Shagari, said the closing prayers the Muslim way, while Amaechi said the Christian prayers.

The seven governors were at the conference with their deputy governors.  Also present were Senator Shaba Lafiagi from Kwara State and all the senators and House of Representatives members from the seven states.

PDP National Vice Chairman in the Northwest, Senator Ibrahim Musa Kazaure, was also there.

The group said it would announce other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ‘New PDP’ and its national secretariat later.

Meanwhile, PDP National Chairman Bamanga Tukur has said the party will deal "decisively as the situation warrants".

Reacting to the creation of splinter PDP, he told journalists at the Eagle Square: “The PDP does not recognise any parallel party. Those who staged the walk out, organised kangaroo meeting are all self-seeking and treacherous individuals pursuing neither regional nor religious agenda except their own agenda, except their own personal interest.

“Their attempt to create a parallel party is illegal, unlawful as there are no crisis within the PDP whatsoever. They were all active participants in the setting up of this convention. And many of them were with the President and rode with him to the convention venue and joined them in the salutation of all the delegates including their state delegates.

“The PDP is studying the situation as it unfolds and will deal decisively as the situation warrants.

“It is obvious that they are creating crisis where there is none to give the impression that the party is divided. This in their thinking will allow them persuade loyal members of the National Assembly to cross carpet with them. We will resist this".