North-East PDP backs Governors Forum’s stand on party’s leadership tussle

Segun Babatunde Awofadeji, Bauchi

The Zonal Working Committee and states Chairmen of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Northeast Zone have declared support to the recent decision taken by the Party’s Governors Forum on the leadership crisis rocking its National Working Committee (NWC).

The main opposition PDP, North-East Zone also observed that the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) led Federal administration has brought untold hardship to the generality of Nigerians while no proactive measures are being taken to remedy the situation.

The Zonal PDP at the end of its meeting held in Bauchi on Wednesday, stressed that the meeting was necessitated by the current happening at the National Level ofthe Party.

The meeting reflected on the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party at the helms of affairs as a ruling party and how it lost out to the All Progressive Congress (APC) in 2015 declaring that, “The PDP years were indeed a blessing to the Nation.”

The meeting agreed that it is the only Party that can provide the needed solution to the current challenges facing the nation, thus making it the last hope of Nigerians as the ‘messiah’ for salvation.

The meeting was well attended and deliberated extensively on moving the party forward as it resolved and issued a communique signed by the Zonal Secretary, Kabiru Bappa Jauro, on behalf of the Zonal Chairman, Rev Emmanuel Bovoa and read by the Adamawa State Chairman, Tahir Shehu.

The meeting stated that since the inception of democratic rule in 1999, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) had been dominant in the North East sub region, producing a former Vice President, former/Serving Governors, former/serving National Chairmen, former/serving National Assembly and State Assembly Members making the Party to have tremendously contributed to the socio economic development of the Zone, and Nigeria at large.

The communique contained that, “As regards to the National Chairmanship tussle, the meeting wish to align itself in toto with the position of the Governors, the BOT, National Assembly Caucus and all the Major critical stakeholders in the Zone. This, we believe shall bring decorum and sanity that will lead the party to lofty heights.”

The meeting also acknowledged and appreciated the unparalleled infrastructural development by the PDP Governors in their respective States and urged them not to relent on the solid foundation they had laid.

The meeting was also satisfied with the tremendous support and encouragement it is receiving from the PDP Governors for the Zonal Office and all the State chapters of the party.

The meeting therefore passed a vote of confidence on the Three Governors in the Zone namely, Adamawa, Bauchi and Taraba States for performing very well and urged them to continue providing the dividends of democracy to the people of the Zone and Nigeria at large.

The meeting also resolved to specially appreciate the host, Governor of Bauchi State, Sen. Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, who also doubles as the Chairman, PDP Governor’s Forum for facilitating and providing conducive atmosphere for the meeting.

Earlier during the opening of the meeting, North-East Zonal office of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) assured that it will continue to seek for avenue of mutuality among its members across the states of the Zone.

The assertion was made by the Zonal Chairman, Rev Emmanuel Bovoa during an emergency meeting of the Zone held on Wednesday at the Zonal Secretariat in Bauchi.

Represented by the Zonal Secretary, Kabiru Bappah Jauro, the Zonal Chairman assured that the unity and peace of the party cannot be over emphasised at a crucial time like this.

In his opening remarks, he said that, “I welcome you all to this our Executive Council meeting of the Zone. We are here to deliberate on the issues of our party and at the end, we will tell you, Journalists, the outcome of the meeting.”

He added that, “Very soon, we are going to have our Zonal Congress, it is part of the reasons we are here. To discuss how to go about the exercise.”

Emmanuel Bavoa stressed that, “We have the best and well equipped Zonal Secretariat of the PDP in the whole of Nigeria, courtesy of the Governor of Bauchi State, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir.”

“Today, we are proud of where we are. We grateful and will always be grateful to him till eternity even if we leave this place. We know that he set it up to the standards and if you look at it, he is giving PDP the face-lift. We are not ashamed of telling anybody, I have gone around and said it,” He added.

According to him,”Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde tried to copy but, he could not beat, the first person is Sen Bala Mohammed. I know that our own remains the best, we are grateful to him.” END