The National Working Committee (NWC)
of the New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) held its monthly meeting yesterday,
9th November, 2013, in Abuja to review developments and chart
the way forward for the party.
1. The meeting presided over by our
National Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, set up a six-man Reception
Organising Committee to set in motion the reception in honour of the five new
Governors of the PDP who have decided to join our faction of the party. The
Committee is headed by Hon. Dr. Sam Jaja, the National Vice Chairman of nPDP,
with Hon. Nasir Isa Abubakar, the National Organising Secretary, as the
Secretary of the Committee. Other members of the Committee include Engr.
Abubakar G. Umar, the National Treasurer; Hon. Binta Masi Garba, the Women
Leader; Mr. Timi Frank, the Youth Leader; and Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the
National Public Secretary. The Committee was directed to submit for immediate
consideration by the G7 Governors, the venue, logistics and modalities for
receiving the five Governors, ex-Governors, Nationalists and key members of the
National Assembly who have indicated interest to join us.
2. The NWC received with utmost
happiness the ruling of the Appeal Court returning His Excellency, Prince
(Barr) Olagunsoye Oyinlola back to his seat as the National Secretary of PDP.
It pleaded with him to ensure that the impunity in PDP becomes something of the
past as we await other court rulings that will restore the Baraje-led NWC as
the authentic NWC of the party to enable us join him in rebuilding the party.
The party after considering the expert opinion of the Legal Adviser, Barr. Eric
Opia, decided that Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola does not need any other oath of
office to return to work as PDP National Secretary as he subscribed to PDP’s
oath of office alongside other members of the NWC that were sworn-in at the
Eagle Square on March 24, 2012. According to the legal expert, the import of
the verdict by the appellate court, which did not attach any condition to its
ruling, is that Oyinlola is the validly elected PDP National Secretary. That
has also been the position of INEC which monitored the National Convention of
PDP held on March 24, 2012. As things stand, Oyinlola remains the National Secretary
of PDP and only the Supreme Court can reverse that decision. The nPDP NWC is
therefore of the view that Prince Oyinlola should resume office immediately
without waiting for any directive from any quarters. Any other person who
parades himself as the National Secretary of PDP should be committed to prison
for contempt of court.
3. The nPDP National Organising
Secretary, Hon. Nasir Isa Abubakar, was appointed to replace Oyinlola in acting
capacity pending further directives from the G7 Governors and the nPDP Caucus.
4. the NWC commended and
congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan by once again improving on his
democratic credentials by directing for the immediate reinstatement of Prince
Oyinlola as the duly elected National Secretary of PDP not minding the plots by
some undemocratic within the system who want to portray our party in bad light
by embarking upon on an exercise in futility by trying to lure the
South-West PDP to write a petition against Prince Oyinlola and use it to invite
him to the Alh Dikko’s Disciplinary Committee and after suspends him. To us
this plot apart from being childish exposes Tukur and his cohorts as true
enemies of PDP and the force behind the continuous crisis in the party which
they don’t want its end because of their myopic and selfish goals but
thank God for the intervention of President Jonathan to end this undesirable
macabre dance.
5. NWC congratulated the G7 Governors
comprising Governors Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Rabiu
Musa Kwankwaso of Kano, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Murtala Nyako of
Adamawa, Aliyu Wammako of Sokoto and Abdulfatai Ahmed of Kwara State, for their
wise decision to embark on a nationwide tour to brief Elders and former Heads
of State of our nation on the state of our party and the efforts by some people
to ensure that peace continues to elude PDP. This action by the G7 Governors
should proof to the entire world our unflinching desire to restore peace to the
party. NWC decided to wait for the briefing and recommendation of the G7
Governors before deciding our next move, even as we continue to wait for the
invitation of President Goodluck Jonathan to conclude our meeting on the fate
of PDP.
6. The NWC welcomed the initiative of
the National Security Adviser to President Jonathan, Col. Sambo Dasuki, to
further broker peace amongst the G7 Governors, PDP and the Presidency knowing
the implication of the continued crisis on governance and the security of the
nation. The NSA has once again by this act demonstrated that he is a statesman
unlike some of the hawks in the Presidency who prefer that the crisis in the
party continues. These hawks are deceiving Mr. President into thinking that
they love him more than those in the nPDP while they are actually engineering
his political misfortune.
7. NWC commended the nPDP
leadership, including both the Caucus and NWC members, for turning the party
into the beautiful bride of Nigerian politics in view of the fact that we hold
the key to decide the next President of Nigeria come 2015. The NWC considered
other options in case our talks with President Jonathan fail to produce the
desired result and concluded that our door should be opened to the APC option,
while not ruling out other options that would give us the leverage in reshaping
the polity come 2015.
8. NWC congratulated the Golden
Eaglets of Nigeria for doing the country proud last Friday by winning the FIFA
Under-17 World Cup for the fourth time in grand style, stating that the boys
have demonstrated our common resolve and belief that Nigeria is a great country
and can achieve the seemingly impossible if only our leaders can put their acts
together. The NWC advised the Super Eagles to sustain this victory by walloping
the Ethiopian team by next Saturday in their World Cup qualifier, even as the
NWC prepares to storm Calabar to cheer them to victory
Tags
Politics