Niger State Governor and Six Others Walk Out of PDP's Convention | New PDP 'Voice of the People' Unveiled
Former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and some state governors and members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, walked out of the party’s convention yesterday while it was ongoing at Eagle Square in Abuja.
The governors are Governors Alhaji Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Alhaji Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Rotimi Amechi (Rivers).
After leaving the venue of the convention in anger, the aggrieved governors and Atiku converged on the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja where they addressed a press conference.
The leaders are protesting the actions of the organisers of the ongoing PDP Special National Convention that has seen a majority of the aspirants disqualified.
Over 50 of the 75 aspirants, most presumed to be loyal to opponents of President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term ambition within the PDP, have been disqualified from vying for the 17 available National Working Committee, NWC, positions of the party.
The governors and leaders that walked out addressed the press at a separate venue from the Eagle Square where the PDP Convention was ongoing.
The splinter group, which calls itself the “New PDP,” allegedly formed a new political party and are seeking registration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under the name of Voice of the People led by Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar
The Guardian's report:
It was gathered that Alhaji Atiku led the governors out of the convention, ostensibly to take the shine out of the event.
Sources said the walk out and announcement of the splinter group had been pre-planned to give them momentum towards getting the widest mileage from the media and Nigerians who were focused on the convention.
Former acting national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, who broke the news on the group’s emergence, said he had been mandated to become the chairman. Announcing Atiku as leader of the party, Baraje added that former national secretary of the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is now Secretary-General of the “new PDP.”
Baraje said the former deputy national secretary of the PDP, Sam Sam Jaja, would be the deputy national secretary of the new group.
He stated that names of more officers of the new PDP would be unveiled tomorrow (Monday). Baraje also said that, by Monday (tomorrow), the national secretariat of the party would also be made known.
The formation of the “new PDP”, the “mandated chairman” noted is “the desire and wish of the people” asking the audience of the party supporters: “Have you accepted it? To which they chorused loudly, “Yeaaaaaaah.”
Atiku, who spoke to the packed audience said: “Today is a very solid day in the lives of our party. It is also a day of mixed feelings. It will also be a day of happiness. It could also be a sad day. Sad because a party we conceived in 1998 to be a rallying point for all Nigerians, to be a source of unity, to be a party that would fulfill the aspirations of Nigerians, has today been dragged down by people who don’t even understand what party politics is.
“For several times, I have tried to draw the attention of leaders of our party and leaders in government that this democratic dispensation is supposed to make things better for the people of this country.
“Let us not deceive ourselves; the country is full of frustration, full of anger, disappointment. Therefore, we have the responsibility to draw back and see how we can reform our great party for those lofty ideals, lofty purposes which the present leadership of the party cannot achieve. They cannot be achieved even by the Presidency.
“I have said it before (and I will say it again) because we are going in the wrong direction. We are losing the party. We are losing the government but for these very courageous steps we are taking here. When this idea was muted to me, I was really wondering when I would be able to see men with courage and determination that would get up, fully empowered for this abrupt decision.
“I will like to appeal to the all our party members who are sitting on the fence to join this new PDP. This new PDP, I want to assure you, would restore the value of the founding fathers of the party. Let me thank all of you for your display of courage and support because some people would be hiding elsewhere, saying we would not fight the government. Who is the government? You are the government. And by the grace of God, with your support, with your loyalty, the change will be achieved.”
Read more HERE
The governors are Governors Alhaji Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Alhaji Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Rotimi Amechi (Rivers).
After leaving the venue of the convention in anger, the aggrieved governors and Atiku converged on the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja where they addressed a press conference.
The leaders are protesting the actions of the organisers of the ongoing PDP Special National Convention that has seen a majority of the aspirants disqualified.
Over 50 of the 75 aspirants, most presumed to be loyal to opponents of President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term ambition within the PDP, have been disqualified from vying for the 17 available National Working Committee, NWC, positions of the party.
The governors and leaders that walked out addressed the press at a separate venue from the Eagle Square where the PDP Convention was ongoing.
The splinter group, which calls itself the “New PDP,” allegedly formed a new political party and are seeking registration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under the name of Voice of the People led by Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar
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| Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar addressing PDP members at the unveiling of factional National officers of the new PDP at Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja |
The Guardian's report:
It was gathered that Alhaji Atiku led the governors out of the convention, ostensibly to take the shine out of the event.
Sources said the walk out and announcement of the splinter group had been pre-planned to give them momentum towards getting the widest mileage from the media and Nigerians who were focused on the convention.
Former acting national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, who broke the news on the group’s emergence, said he had been mandated to become the chairman. Announcing Atiku as leader of the party, Baraje added that former national secretary of the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is now Secretary-General of the “new PDP.”
Baraje said the former deputy national secretary of the PDP, Sam Sam Jaja, would be the deputy national secretary of the new group.
He stated that names of more officers of the new PDP would be unveiled tomorrow (Monday). Baraje also said that, by Monday (tomorrow), the national secretariat of the party would also be made known.
The formation of the “new PDP”, the “mandated chairman” noted is “the desire and wish of the people” asking the audience of the party supporters: “Have you accepted it? To which they chorused loudly, “Yeaaaaaaah.”
Atiku, who spoke to the packed audience said: “Today is a very solid day in the lives of our party. It is also a day of mixed feelings. It will also be a day of happiness. It could also be a sad day. Sad because a party we conceived in 1998 to be a rallying point for all Nigerians, to be a source of unity, to be a party that would fulfill the aspirations of Nigerians, has today been dragged down by people who don’t even understand what party politics is.
“For several times, I have tried to draw the attention of leaders of our party and leaders in government that this democratic dispensation is supposed to make things better for the people of this country.
“Let us not deceive ourselves; the country is full of frustration, full of anger, disappointment. Therefore, we have the responsibility to draw back and see how we can reform our great party for those lofty ideals, lofty purposes which the present leadership of the party cannot achieve. They cannot be achieved even by the Presidency.
“I have said it before (and I will say it again) because we are going in the wrong direction. We are losing the party. We are losing the government but for these very courageous steps we are taking here. When this idea was muted to me, I was really wondering when I would be able to see men with courage and determination that would get up, fully empowered for this abrupt decision.
“I will like to appeal to the all our party members who are sitting on the fence to join this new PDP. This new PDP, I want to assure you, would restore the value of the founding fathers of the party. Let me thank all of you for your display of courage and support because some people would be hiding elsewhere, saying we would not fight the government. Who is the government? You are the government. And by the grace of God, with your support, with your loyalty, the change will be achieved.”
Read more HERE
Niger State Governor and Six Others Walk Out of PDP's Convention | New PDP 'Voice of the People' Unveiled
Reviewed by The Niger Times
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11:07 am
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Reviewed by The Niger Times
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11:07 am
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This is what we call growth in democracy.. I do wish the new PDP party best of luck. We all need change in the system of our politics and leadership.. Let's see the change they will bring in our country..
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