The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) narrowly foiled desperate manipulations that would have caused serious implosion in its Kogi state chapter this weekend but the party must now urgently disband its controversial Kogi PDP Caretaker Committee, an intra-party pressure group, the PDP Frontliners has said.
“‘Along with one or two persons in the PDP Caretaker Committee in Kogi state, a controversial ex-Senator who pocketed campaign donations in 2023 without campaigning was seeking to manipulate Kogi state PDP for his own interest and that of a failed presidential aspirant; they tried to replace ward and local government congresses’ results with new kangaroo congress slated for this weekend but the PDP National Working Committee promptly rejected it,” the group stated.
In a statement signed by the trio of Alhaji Hussein Mohammed (President), Mr. Moses Abidemi (Secretary) and Mr. Dan Okafor (Publicity Secretary), the PDP Frontliners emphasized that despite firm opposition by eighteen out of the twenty one PDP chairmen in various local government areas of Kogi state, the state’s Caretaker Committee led by Senator Laah Danjuma (Chairman) and Secretary, Senator Philip Gyunka insisted on replacing the results of a free, fair and orderly ad-hoc delegates conference of Saturday, 27th July, 2024 it with a manipulated process hurriedly slated for Saturday, August 10.
“The PDP Frontliners hereby demand immediate disbandment of the controversial Kogi PDP Caretaker Committee; we applaud the PDP NWC for an emphatic memo dated August 7 which effectively scuttled plans by the clique which even sought to override the authority of the PDP National Secretariat by addressing a petition to INEC is an unpardonable affront that speaks volume about their true intentions.
“We also applaud the firm stance of PDP LGA chairmen in Kogi state who wrote to the PDP’s acting National Chairman, Ambassador Ilya Damagum over the Caretaker Committee’s attempt to reverse delegate elections by all the 239 electoral wards of the 21 local government areas in Kogi state; apparently, their resolve to take legal action and resist participation in a contrived ‘emergency’ congress that gives all the advantages to a tiny clique have been appropriately considered by the PDP NWC.
“One is appalled that as former lawmakers who ordinarily should have proper grasp of party processes as it relates to conducting congresses, our Senators have displayed gross incompetence and lack of grit; it is even more shameful that as Elders of the party, they have descended so low, to work in cahoots with few individuals to try set aside legitimate decisions and circumvent due process, by promoting illegalities which will affect the re-positioning of the party and reduce likelihood of winning future elections,” they stated.
Pointing out that it is only the National Working Committee through the National Organizing Secretary, (NOS) that has jurisdiction over state congresses as enshrined in the party’s guidelines, the PDP Frontliners remarked that it is highly nauseating and an unpardonable affront for Laah and the CTC to flagrantly arrogate such powers to itself instead of concluding its temporary assignment with dignity.
According to the angry and disappointed party loyalists, such grossly illegal and outrightly unconstitutional actions that panders to the selfish whims of a tiny minority is also a deliberate attempt to impugn and undermine the integrity, and authority of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC).
“We are very optimistic that PDP can re-emerge as Nigeria’s dominant party in 2027 if such unethical illegality of using the backdoor to foist any desperate clique’s agenda continues to be resisted by the national leadership as well as the grassroots leaders of PDP; attempts by any failed governorship candidate who promises to deliver Kogi state to any failed presidential aspirant through unethical manipulations are doomed to fail,” they added.
In the August 7, 2024 memo being referred to by the PDP Frontliners and seen by our reporter, the PDP National Organizing Secretary, Honourable Bature Umar emphatically directed the Chairman of Kogi state PDP Caretaker Committee on the need for his committee to immediately shelve its resort to activities that are constitutionally beyond its authority.
“My attention has been drawn to the press release you issued on the above subject; for your information, elected State Chapters or appointed Caretaker Committees do not have any right to conduct Congresses/Primaries – this is the constitutional powers of the National Working Committee (NWC).
“In view of this, you are advised to immediately withdraw the statement and refer to Article 4 on Page 4 of the Guidelines for the conduct of Ward, LGA, State, Zonal Congresses which states that: ‘For the avoidance of doubt, the actual conduct of elections at the Ward, Local Government Area, State and Zonal Congresses shall be by the Congresses Committee at each level appointed by the National Working Committee (NWC).”
