Adamawa PDP crisis: Sule Lamido’s committee submits report to Jonathan

BY HENRY UMORU

ABUJA—GOVERNOR Sule Lamido of JigawaState, yesterday, submitted report of the Adhoc Committee set up last year to nip in the bud the lingering crisis in Adamawa State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to President Goodluck Jonathan.

Part of the report may have contained a recommendation by the committee that the factional executive committees produced by the political gladiators be harmonised.

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This came as indications also emerged that the committee may have recommended that as part of moves to bring peace to the party as well as achieve the present trouble-shooting mission of the PDP as a family, National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, stakeholders and other leaders involved in the political quagmire will not be humiliated.

It will be recalled that the committee was set up and inaugurated by President Jonathan on  December 21, 2012, following the high wire politics in the state and irreconcilable differences among the main political actors.

Other members of the committee at yesterday’s meeting, which took place at PDP Presidential Campaign Office, Maitama, Abuja were Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State; Secretary, Board of Trustees, BoT, Senator Walid Jubrin, and former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, who represented the BoT.

Also present at the meeting were PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh; National Women’s Leader, Ambassador Kema Chikwe; National Legal Adviser; Mr Victor Kwon; Special Adviser to Vice President Namadi Sambo on Political Affairs, Mallam Abba Dabo, who is the Secretary, among others.

Answering questions from newsmen, Chairman of the Committee and Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, said: “Our report is wonderful. You see, we are talking about a family. When you are trying to build a family, I think there should be love, there should be respect, there should be care and trust. The PDP will not embarrass anybody.”

On the implication of the letter written to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by the party on the committee’s report, he said all those who felt aggrieved in the crisis had been able to bury their personal interest and ambition for the sake of the party.

“Look, I have been saying we have been trying to work as a family to get the factions harmonized and what we are doing is in the interest of key players in the party, those who feel aggrieved, to come on board.

Report not meant to embarrass anybody

“We have been able to bury our personal ambitions and interest for the sake of the party, because it is the only hope for Nigeria,” Governor Lamido said.

Asked to comment on claims by a faction of the party in the state that it was alienated and that his committee didn’t meet with its members, Lamido queried:  “Do you know what they call human management? Naturally, in any human gathering, there are crises, there are problems, but you see, the PDP has the capacity and sagacity to solve and overcome its own problems. The way forward is for the national interest.”

Asked whether the committee recommended harmonization of factions of Alhaji Abdullahi Kugama and Joel Madaki, he said both factions would align with the party and its candidates.

He said: “You are saying what you are hearing. At the end of the day, they are all going to align with PDP and PDP candidates.

“Our party interest first, the party fortunes, what we are going to do is to restore confidence of Nigerians. ACN, ANPP don’t experience one percent of PDP headache. The bigger the head, the bigger the headache but we have the capacity to overcome it. We don’t fear crises.”

It will be recalled that Adamawa State governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd) and PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, have been having a running battle over the conduct of PDP primaries in the state.

PDP doesn’t fear crises

This fight for supremacy led to the sack of the state PDP executive committee and suspension of the National Vice Chairman, North East, Alhaji Girigiri Lawal, by the National Working Committee, NWC.

The NWC also dissolved the state executive of the party, led by Alhaji Umaru Mijinyawa Kugama, who was loyal to the governor and put in place a nine-member caretaker committee, led by Ambassador Umar Mijinyawa Kugama, to oversee the affairs of Adamawa PDP.

Soon after Lamido’s committee was inaugurated, Chairman of the Committee, Governor Sule Lamido, swung into action and in a letter dated December 21, 2012, to Bamanga Tukur, urged the NWC to urgently stop all actions on Adamawa State PDP.

The letter read: “Your Excellency is aware that an ad-hoc committee has been created for the resolution of Adamawa crisis.

“The inaugural committee meeting was held today and members resolved that further acts and/or actions by any organ of the party with respect to Adamawa PDP be suspended. This is to enable the ad-hoc committee to conclude its work without any influence whatsoever.

“We do hope Mr. Chairman will formally direct the North East acting Zonal Chairman and the Caretaker Chairman accordingly.”

The NWC replied the JigawaState governor same day, saying time table for the state congress was already out and aspirants had purchased forms.

The letter, dated December 21, 2012 and signed by PDP Deputy National Secretary, Mr Onwe Onwe, read: ‘I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter addressed to the National Chairman dated December 21, 2012.

“Whilst noting the contents of your letter and the resolution of your committee to suspend further acts and/or actions by any organ of the party with respect to Adamawa PDP, I am directed to draw your attention to the following.

“The national secretariat had via a letter signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary dated December 5, 2012 written to Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, notifying it of the dates and time table of the congresses.

“The National Secretariat of our great party, the PDP had via a letter signed by the National Organising Secretary dated December 6, 2012 written to the Caretaker Committee approved time table of the congresses in the state starting from December 27, 2012 to January 10, 2013.

“The Caretaker Committee had obtained PDP nomination forms from the National Secretariat of the party and has been selling them to the aspirants from ward level to the local government level”.

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