PDP crisis: Party demands Metuh, Bello Haliru"s resignation

The leadership in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) raged on yesterday as some of the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) demanded that National Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh and acting Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman Bello Haliru Mohammed should step down to face their trial.

Olisah Metuh

The call is hinged on the alleged sharing of the $2.1 billion arms contract fund for which Metuh and Mohammed have been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

While Metuh is remanded in Kuje prison, Mohammed is on bail and is confined to his hospital bed.

A statement yesterday, signed by four of the party officials said it had become absolutely necessary for the two party chiefs to step down until their trial is concluded.

Those that signed the statements are the Deputy National Youth Leader, Dennis Alonge-Niyi; Deputy National Legal Adviser, Bashir Maidugu; Deputy National Organsising Secretary, Okey Nnaedozie; and Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Abdullahi Jalo.

The quartet also called on the party’s Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, to revert to his position as Deputy National Chairman.

They based their position on the judgment of an Abuja High Court that ordered Secondus to vacate the office  of National Chairman.

But a statement by the party’s National Secretary Prof. Wale Oladipo warned against “fifth columnists” within the party.

Although he did not directly refer to the statement credited to the national officers, Oladipo said the party is united and warming up for its national convention in March when national officers will be elected.

The statement said: “The attention of the national leadership of the PDP has been drawn to reports in the media credited to some members of the party regarding the on-going ordeal of some of our leaders with the EFCC as well as issues relating to the position of the National Chairman of our great party.

“Indeed, we understand the concerns of our members especially since the unfortunate electoral setback, its attendant trauma and disagreements within the party as well as the recent development leading to the probing of some of our leaders and of course our campaign funding by the APC-led government.

“In the same vein, we have noted the desperation of some opportunistic and selfish individuals, including those being used by the APC, to draw political capital from the present challenges facing our party.

“While we await the judicial determination of the cases involving some of our leaders at the EFCC, it is important that all party members show commitment to our rebuilding effort by ensuring utterances that encourage and unite rather than further discourage and divide our members. Anything contrary to this would be playing into the very hands of those who want to decimate our party, destroy our common destiny as a people and install a one-party state in our country.

“Our earnest attention for now is our on-going rebuilding efforts, the amendment of our party’s constitution and our scheduled National Convention in March this year to produce new leaders in line with the statutory requirements of our great party. All the statutory organs are aware of the laid out plans by the NWC, which would soon be presented to them appropriately and accordingly.

“The public and the media are by this made aware of the fact that the PDP remains a big family despite our temporary electoral setback. Also, our leadership and statutory organs, the NEC, NWC, Caucus, Board of Trustee, forum of Governors and caucuses of various legislative houses, are all united in the common effort to rebuild and reposition the party, especially with preparations for our National Convention in March.”

PDP crisis: Party demands Metuh, Bello Haliru"s resignation

We won’t apologise to NWC – PDP workers

Aggrieved workers of the Peoples Democratic Party  have vowed not to tender an apology as demanded by members of the  National Working Committee of the party before they can begin to discuss how to end the ongoing face-off between them.

It was gathered that the members of the NWC, at their weekly meeting on Wednesday, reportedly directed the angry workers to write individual letters of apology and show remorse for their action before they could be listened to by the NWC.

One of the workers, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity said, “We have been directed to write letters of apology and copy The Chairman, Board of Trustees, National Executive Committee, and Chairman PDP Governors’ Forum before they could listen to us.

“The NWC members said they were sad that we have caused the party a lot of embarrassments. They complained that we ought to have channelled our grievances through the Director of Administration, who in turn will pass it to the National Secretary to NWC, without a recourse to the public.”

It was learnt that the NWC took the decision after its meeting with management staff of the party, which was held at the Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja.

Since the crisis started, the NWC members have been avoiding the party’s national secretariat located at Zone 5, Abuja.

Representatives of the workers who were at the meeting with the NWC members took their report to their colleagues at an emergency meeting held inside the NEC hall at the party’s secretariat.

At the meeting, which lasted about 30 minutes, the workers said there was no need to apologise.

A source at the meeting stated that “Director of Administration, Bawa Gurama, counseled that we should sheathe our sword and comply with the NWC directives and await further action from the NWC.”

Further check revealed that though the angry workers said that yes, they could be blamed for the crisis, they nevertheless unanimously said “they stand by the reply to the memo issued by the National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo to them.”

The source said, “We are not to be blamed for making the issue a public discourse; it was the memo which the NWC leaked to the public through the National Secretary that led to our reaction.

“We will not apologise, because we are not to be blamed for how it became a public issue. Therefore, we stand by the content of the reply to the National Secretary.”

We won’t apologise to NWC – PDP workers

PDP Moves to End Face-off with Workers Vows to reorganise party

There were indications on Tuesday that the stand-off between some members staff of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) might be resolved soon.

Jonathan in Rivers State

THISDAY gathered that the workers held  a brief meeting yesterday at the party’s national secretariat to consider an offer said have been made to them by the management.

At the end of the meeting, a source said the workers accepted to end the face-off following some approvals made by the NWC to meet their demands.

“The NWC is said to have approved N5 million for personal and administrative staff respectively. Specifically, each staff will go home with N25,000 as Eid-il-fitir sallah bonus.”

Also, it was learnt  that payment for July salary has been approved.

However, before the meeting took place, the PDP workers had a hectic time trying to gain access into the party secretariat as they  were initially denied access by the security  personnel sent to guard the place.

Also, journalists and other visitors who came to transact business at the secretariat, were asked to identify themselves before they were admitted.

THISDAY gathered that the workers’ lock-out may be a measure taken by the management of the party to enforce the 50 per cent staff reduction earlier announced by the PDP National Working Committee (NWC).

The workers who arrived as early as 8a.m. met a stern looking security personnel deployed from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and private security guards that provide security at the opposition party’s secretariat.

It was not until around 10a.m. that the security operatives allowed the staff access after the intervention of the Director of Administration, Alhaji Bawa Gurama.

It was learnt that Gurama instructed the security personnel to allow the staff access to their offices after they were thoroughly screened.

Meanwhile, the  NWC of the party has said that it will not be deterred, blackmailed or cowed from taking objective  steps necessary for sound political health, astute opposition and general re-organisation of the party.

In a statement issued by the National Pubilicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party said the “attention of the NWC has been drawn to the unnecessary and unfortunate reaction of Junior, Intermediate and Supervisory members of  staff under the auspices of PDP Staff Welfare Committee in reaction to  NWC directive on re-organisation and re-structuring of the party.”

The party also assured all its members and indeed Nigerians that the finances of the party had been handled in line with standard financial regulations governing political parties and the constitution of the PDP.

“The NWC also notes the steps by the management committee in the matter. The NWC appreciates the concerns of all stakeholders of the party and  assures all members that it will not be deterred in its sworn responsibility to reposition, re-organise and re-structure the party.

“For the purpose of clarity, the process of staff re-organisation is a  sub-component of the reform process in the party. Consequently, the NWC  further affirms that the internal memo emanating from the office of the

National Secretary stands.

“Subsequently, as custodians of the PDP constitution, the NWC will be  guided by the provisions of the constitution in dealing with all matters  related to staff especially schedule iv (staff rules) of the 2012 constitution as amended,” it said.

PDP Moves to End Face-off with Workers Vows to reorganise party

PDP members drag party NWC to EFCC for fraudulent practices

By Henry Umoru

APC has Infiltrated our Staff — Metuh

PLANS by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to reduce their staff strength, slash their salaries and allowances by 50%, yesterday took another dimension as the workers have vowed to fight members of the National Working Committee, NWC with their last blood, alleging corrupt practices in the party they said cost them the 2015 Presidential election.

PDP crisis

The workers’ revelations and allegations appeared so strong that party spokesman Olisa Metuh alleged that  the ruling party, APC has infiltrated their party.

The PDP workers have even invited  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to focus its attention on the party leadership and probe them for alleged fraudulent practices.

Protesting yesterday, the PDP workers under the aegis of the PDP Workers Welfare Association alleged that the leadership of the Party under the Acting Chairman, Uche Secondus and Secretary Professor Adewale Oladipo have lost relevance and direction to lead the party and should therefore resign and face the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

In a press conference statement jointly signed by the chairman of the PDP Staff welfare Association Ngozi Nzeh and Secretary Dan Ochu-Baiye, the aggrieved workers stressed that they were surprised that members of the NWC were still hanging around to kill the party after former chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu had  resigned following the failure of the party.

The staff said, “It is curious to observe that a party which once prided itself as the biggest party in Africa could be so liquidated by such executive recklessness of its NWC members so much so that N12,000,000,000 (Twelve Billion Naira) was squandered in 9 months.

“Party members will need to know why delegates were compelled to pay the sum of N10,000 (Ten Thousand Naira) each into a private account of a company called MORUFI NIG. LTD. We are aware that over N1,000,000,000 (One Billion Naira) was realized from this fraudulent exercise. Why did the NWC compel Party members to pay sums into a company account rather than the usual party account in the same Zenith Bank?

“As part of their agenda to ridicule and crumble the party, legitimate bills owed to media houses, contractors and even cleaners have not been paid till date. Most Party members who conducted congresses and primaries that generated these huge sums have also not been paid.

“Will over twelve million members of PDP believe that even as we address this press conference, the NWC are still using party finances to fund frivolous personal expenses such as weddings, naming ceremonies, funerals etc to the tuned of hundreds of millions of naira.

“Because of these ceaseless acts of recklessness and palpable fear for their fate, they have refused to summon a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) since the Party lost in the last elections. Shouldn’t any organization with a responsible leadership call for a NEC meeting for an appraisal of what transpired months after we lost elections?

“Several factors have been adduced as the reasons why the party performed so poorly in the last general elections. We make bold to say that responsibility for the abysmal outing of the party should be located directly at the doorstep of the NWC members due to the following reasons:- Criminal imposition of unpopular candidates; Mind boggling extortion of aspirants. An example here is the yet to be resolved allegation by Ndudi Godwin Elumelu who paid whopping N750,000,000 (Seven Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) to the NWC to obtain the gubernatorial ticket of the party in Delta State. There are many other victims; Appointment of incompetent cronies who were specifically detailed to return unpopular candidates as officers in congresses and primaries.  The same scenario is being played out in Kogi while Bayelsa is in the wings.

“In Kogi, it is widely alleged that the incumbent Governor was requested to cough out the sum of N1,000,000,000 (One Billion Naira) to the same NWC to retain his ticket. Non remittance of campaign funds to state chapters; Results submitted by Congress Committees were blatantly changed; Wholesome embezzlement of proceeds of sales of nomination forms.”

The workers who boasted that it has possession of incriminating documents to indict the NWC, however called  on the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), the national caucus and other critical stakeholders to invoke the relevant section of the party’s constitution to hold a NEC meeting to sack the  NWC.

It would be recalled that the PDP, barely two months into its new status as the opposition political party, after sixteen years of power,  was already struggling in all quarters and yesterday concluded to reduce its staff strength by 50%.

The party had on Wednesday  said it would reduce the salaries and allowances of its staff by 50%, those of members of the National Working Committee.

In a letter signed by PDP National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo and addressed to all directors and administrative staff of PDP, the leadership of the Party would also reduce the number of its security by 50%.

The letter dated 29 July, 2015 with reference number PS/DD/AD/HOD/SAs/PAS and obtained by Vanguard, the Secretary who noted that the decisions were reached at the 406th meeting of the NWC yesterday, stressed that the party’s Research Directorate has also been abolished and functions of the Directorate transferred to the Peoples Democratic Institute.

The PDP while asking  its workers to  return to their respective states and prove their membership, had said, “Furthermore, Establishment staff who would remain are required to obtain individual letter of revalidation from their State Party Chapter within one month of this circular as to their suitability for service at the National Secretariat.”

The workers statements read in part: “In view of the incontrovertible fact that the current National Working Committee has lost relevance and direction and has proven grossly incompetent of leading the party out of the present quagmire, we demand their immediate resignation.

“We are surprised that while the former National Chairman, Ahmadu Adamu Muazu resigned, these harbingers of political ill-fate are still hanging on to celebrate over the misfortunes of the Party.

“Nigerians will recall that in the United Kingdom, leaders of Labour and Liberal Democrats resigned honourably following the loss of their parties in the 2015 British Parliamentary Elections. What is the PDP NWC still waiting for?  To hang on and further scavenge on the party? This must stop.

“We appeal to the Board of Trustees, the National Caucus and other members of the National Executive Committee to invoke relevant sections of the Party constitution to call for a meeting of NEC since the NWC is reluctant to do so. A stitch in time saves nine.

“We also call on the anti-graft agencies such as the EFCC, the Police, and ICPC to beam their searchlight on the nefarious activities of the PDP NWC before they finally take the party to the grave yard.

“We demand that the National Secretary and his co-travelers in the NWC unconditionally withdraw their sadistic circular and adhere strictly to the provisions of the establishment manual should they no longer require our services.

The workers also took a swipe at the National publicity secretary Olisa Metuh for failure to lead the party to victory in his home state of Anambra and lacked the morale right to question their loyalty to the party.

“We demand that the Publicity Secretary who claimed that staff of the PDP have lost touch with the state chapters withdraws the statement unconditionally. We have evidence to show that the same person who made this allegation lost woefully in his ward and polling booth in the November 16, 2013 governorship election in Anambra State where he openly campaigned for and supported the candidate of APGA against the PDP. He again lost his ward and polling booth in the state Assembly elections of April 11, 2015, the stated.

Responding,  Metuh who described their call as baseless, falsehood and contrived, stressed  that they were  only playing out the script they were handed by the opposition APC party, adding,  the party was aware of plots by the APC to infiltrate her members and create confusion within the party and that is what these aggrieved staffers are doing.

According to him, the protest by its workers was a distraction orchestrated by the APC for members of the public’s attention be diverted from these critical issues that they have raised.

Metuh who wondered how come it was now that the PDP has become a thorn in the flesh of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its government at the centre that these kind of internal protests were sprouting, however maintained that the real issues were for the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) Lawal Daura to resign ditto for the Acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

 

PDP members drag party NWC to EFCC for fraudulent practices

Odigie-Oyegun leads APC NWC to Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed doors with members of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress inside the Defence House, Maitama, Abuja.

APC National Chairman, Odigie Oyegun

The President’s guests were led to the meeting by the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

Odigie-Oyegun later told journalists that the visit was to pledge the NWC’s loyalty to the President and express their determination to work with him through thick and thin.

He said Buhari could always depend on the party, which he used as a platform to become the President.

He added that the party noted the fact that expectations were extremely ‎high and that the public expected a totally new dawn.

He said, “On that note, we told him we are with him and that he will succeed because the entire party will be galvanised as one man behind him to ensure that days into this Presidency, Nigerians will indeed see that things are changing.

“All the problems cannot be solved in one day that you will flick to bring that kind of eventuality.

“But what Nigerians want is to be sure that we are getting it right and that we are on the proper path towards answering their long frustration towards amielorating their condition and that is what they will get.”

The party chairman said they had frank discussions and the President was appreciative ‎of their declaration of support.

He added that Buhari briefed the party chiefs on one or two issues and they were quite pleased with the way things were going.

On how long Nigerians will have to wait for the list of ministerial nominees, Odigie-Oyegun said, “All I can say is that Mr. President is committed to carrying the party along in everything that he does and we are very grateful for that.

“He has always been like that; he has put the party in the front burner in all the things he does at all times and he has continued to do that.”

When asked to comment on the criticism trailing the decision of the President to declare his assets privately, contrary to his electoral promise, the APC chairman said only Buhari himself could answer the question.

He however expressed the belief that the process leading to the election of principal officers of the National Assembly would not lead to crisis.

Odigie-Oyegun leads APC NWC to Buhari

PDP members ask court to halt Mu’azu’s forced resignation

Two members of the Peoples Democratic Party, Tasiu Iliyasu Hussaini and Waziri Amadu, have filed a suit before the Federal Territory High Court in Abuja to stop alleged plots of forcing the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, and other members of the party’s National working Committee, to resign.

Adamu muazu

In their suit CV/1831/15, dated May 14, 2015, the plaintiffs want the court to restrain the party from dissolving the National Working Committee or forcing its members to resign their positions without following required procedure laid down by the party’s Constitution.

“These calls for the dissolution and resignation are against the provisons of our constitution and our collective resolve as members of the 1st defendant (PDP),” a supporting affidavit deposed to by Hussaini read in part.

The affidavit further read, “It is in the interest of all the parties to this action that the constitution of the 1st defendants obeyed to the letter.

“It will be in the interest of justice to grant the reliefs sought in this suit and prevent any violation of the clear and unambiguous provisions of our constitution.”

The defendants are the PDP and Mua’zu and other members of the NWC.

The other NWC members include,  Deputy ,National Chairman, Chief Uche Secondus; National Secretary,  Prof. Wale Oladipo; Deupty National Secretary, Solomo Onwe; National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh; National Women Leader, Chief Kema Chikwe.

Others are National Financial Secretary, Bolaji Anani, National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwom; National Organising Secretary, Abubakar Mustapha,National Youth Leader, Hussaini Maibasira; National Treasurer, Bala Buhari; and National Auditor, Adewale Adeyanju.

In the supporting affidavit, the plaintiffs, said some leaders of the party were calling for the dissolution of the NWC of the party because of the defeat suffered in the last election.

The affidavit added that the calls for their resignation was against the spirit of the constitution of the party and the collective resolve of party members “to reposition the party for success in future elections.”

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.

PDP members ask court to halt Mu’azu’s forced resignation

PDP crisis: Jonathan orders ceasefire as Tsav says PDP was taken over by Mrs. Jonathan, Fani-Kayode, Fayose

LAGOS — President Goodluck Jonathan has intervened in the open war between his aides and the National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

PDP lagos, President Jonathan

The President’s intervention during a closed-door meeting with the NWC members followed strident calls for the resignation of the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu‘azu and other NWC members for purportedly leading the party to its first defeat in a presidential election.

The president’s intervention was, yesterday, matched by calls from senior party members who also called on the warring members to pull away from the acrimony that has seen NWC members openly blame the President’s handpicked campaign managers for causing the defeat of the President in the election.

The call for ceasefire nonetheless, the crisis continued to smoulder with Chief Bode George, a former deputy national chairman of the party calling for the resignation of Mu‘azu from office.

Besides, Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State stuck to his guns on the demand for the resignation of the NWC members, an assertion that drew the sharp response of a senior official of the NWC who reproached Fayose for biting the very fingers that fed him in his time of need.

At the meeting with the NWC members on Monday night, the President had, according to sources, called on the party officials to keep the peace, saying that two wrongs do not make a right. Apparently to appease the party officials, the President promised to investigate the rumpus with a pledge to sanction his aides that may have erred.

The President’s plea for peace was matched by a number of stakeholders, including some members of the Board of Trustees, BoT, such as Chief Bode George, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Chief Don Etiebet, the Lagos State chairman of the party and a retired Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav.

The president’s plea forced the national chairman, Mu‘azu, to withdraw a statement in which he had alleged that presidential aides were determined to destroy his legacy through their open conflict with the party officials.

A senior official of the NWC, however, replied a swipe by Governor Fayose earlier yesterday in which he reiterated his call for the dissolution of the NWC.

“It really hurts, I mean it hurts for Ayo Fayose to ask us to resign, considering the risks we took to ensure that we gave him a level playing ground to contest even when some members thought that he had no right being in the race,” the NWC official said yesterday.

Mu’azu can’t be a judge in his case —Bode George

In his reaction to the crisis, yesterday, Chief George, a former deputy national chairman of the party said: “Playing politics has to do with maturity. After any election, there is a way it is being done that any party that lost, the managers of the party will honourably bow out.

“There should be civility in anything being done but in the meantime, you cannot be a judge in your case. That is legitimate, that is sensible. All the noise about people collecting money here and there, to me it should not be so.

“You do not wash your dirty linen in the public. Do you think the All Progressives Congress, APC, do not have their filthy linen? With what they (PDP leadership) have done, they are sending shivers into the spines of Nigerians.

“We are going to readjust ourselves and strengthen all the structures from the wind that just blew us. You do not go to the marketplace and start describing the name and house of your father.

“The position we arrived at, at the Ado Ekiti meeting was the consensus of the party leaders after thorough deliberations which recommended that the National Working Committee should step aside for an independent group to reshuffle the party. If they found out that they (NWC) still need to be there, they will be recalled.

“I am shocked about the reactions of the people which now became an issue on the pages of newspapers. Which party in the world that is existing without internal wrangling? It is natural and normal.”

We’re waiting for outcome of BoT meeting — Babatope

In his remarks, Chief Babatope said: “I am not personally interested in the tantrums that are being thrown at each other by presidential aides and the National Working Committee of the party. I believe the BoT should be meeting in about two weeks where some of these major issues will be thrashed.”

Babatope, who is a member of the BoT of the PDP, said: “I am only interested in what the outcome of the BoT meeting is and not this tantrum being thrown around.”

PDP govs don’t mean well— Etiebet

On his part, Chief Etiebet said: “I have nothing to do with the PDP so I cannot comment on their actions. It’s just a good feeling that all leaders are singing my song which I kept singing since last September that the PDP Governors Forum’s actions would spell doom for the party at the polls.”

Blame game can’t help our course—Shelle, Lagos PDP chairman

Speaking on the current controversy in the party, the Lagos State chairman of the PDP, Mr Shelle said: “I just don’t want to be part of the controversy.”

He, however, urged the leadership of the party not to play the blame game.

Shelle said: “The blame game cannot help our cause. We should start putting our house in order to be able to get rid of those that stole our mandate through conspiracy by the compromise of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Police.

“We as a party only played into their hands. We will bounce back because the so-called APC is PDP in another form. Those who sold out are, however, advised to bow out of office before they are exposed.”

PDP was taken over by Mrs. Jonathan, Fani-Kayode, Fayose —Tsav

Similarly, a retired Police Commissioner, Alhaji Tsav, said: “When the PDP was formed with pomp and pageantry some years back, its members boasted that it was the largest party in Africa. Some at a point boasted that it would rule for 60 years and beyond. Things went right, and everything flourished in the party. Everybody went for the umbrella but today, the situation has changed and the umbrella is leaking profusely not only from torrential rain but from the rays of the tropical sun.

“Most of the founding fathers have left the party in anger ranging from lack of internal democracy to encouraging illegality. The situation was worsened by the departure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is an institution himself.

“The party was taken over by Mrs Jonathan, Gov. Fayose, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode among others. Imagine the First Lady inciting people to be violent during the campaigns. She also brazenly insulted the people of the North and a former Head of State without due regard to the party chairman, who is from the North. Fayose and Fani-Kayode also engaged in the hate campaign against the opposition. The opposition was focused and never left the substance to pursue the shadow.”

 

PDP crisis: Jonathan orders ceasefire as Tsav says PDP was taken over by Mrs. Jonathan, Fani-Kayode, Fayose