*How Rep plotted to appoint Ag nat’l chairman

Governors elected on the platform of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday declared the crisis rocking the party over, and called on the National Working Committee (NWC) to recall two suspended national officers.

The reconciliation comes on the heels of the revelation that a serving member of the House of Representatives spearheaded the plot to appoint a factional national chairman for the party.

Checks also revealed that the same federal lawmaker (name withheld) is the brain behind the relatively unknown political party that swept the recent council election in a key south-south state.

Speaking to reporters yesterday in Abuja, chairman of the PDP governors forum, Governor Bala Mohammed said the decision to broker a truce ce after the forum met representatives of the NWC, the party’s National Assembly Caucus, and the Board of Trustees (BoT).
Said the governor, “I want to inform you on behalf of the PDP Governors Forum, Chairman of the Senate Caucus, and the representative of the BoT.

“We had a family meeting, and we wish to reaffirm that there is no faction in the PDP. There is no faction; everything has reverted to the status quo under acting Chairman Damagum, pending the time the governors and other organs of the party will sit down and resolve all the issues.

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“There is no party that does not have problems. Some of them are legal, and we do not want to preempt the outcome of legal procedures,” noted the governor.

The investigation revealed that the federal lawmaker, who has been very vocal concerning the party’s activities, is reportedly behind the torent of press releases purportedly emanating from National Treasurer, Ahmed Yayari Mohammed.

Last Friday, the National Working Committee, led by acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, suspended National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) and National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba for alleged anti-party activities.

While Ajibade was suspended for, among other things, filing a Notice of Discontinuance regarding a PDP matter before the Court of Appeal Court, Port Harcourt, without authorization, Ologunagba’s bothered on issuing a, statement which “greatly embarrassed the party.”

In a statement titled “PDP National Working Committee (NWC) Directs NPS and NLA to Step Aside,” the party leadership said it “constituted a committee to be chaired by the Deputy National Chairman (South) H.E. Amb. Taofeek Arapaja, to investigate the issues raised against the officers in compliance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Party.”

READ MORE  By Musa Adamu President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan on Saturday flagged of free mass vaccination for domestic animals across his Yobe North Senatorial District. The ceremony which held in Gashua, his native home, in Yobe state was witnessed by traditional rulers, state government officials, lawmakers, political party leaders and representatives of various Fulani groups. Besides the Free vaccination for cattle, sheep and goats, the veterinary services also include treatment and medication of major illnesses and treatment and care for sick animals. “This year, we will be vaccinating one million livestock in this senatorial district,” Lawan told the gathering. Lawan said about 500,000 livestock were vaccinated accross the senatorial district during a similar exercise last year. “I believe that this is one thing we owe our herdsmen. They are Nigerians like all of us. They vote for us. They live with us. They also contribute very well to the economy of this country. “Therefore, it is only fair that we give them similar recognition that we give the other people we live with. This is not something special but I believe that it is something that we owe our herdsmen. “What we are going to do more this year is that in addition to the vaccination of one million livestock within Yobe North Senatorial district, we also have a plan to drill 36 solar boreholes across the six local government areas in the senatorial district. “And the herdsmen themselves are to decide where they want these solar boreholes to be drilled because they know where their people are, who need the water more. “It is our hope that this little effort will go a long way in supporting our very active State Governor, Mai Mala Buni and our President, Muhammadu Buhari who has come to make Nigeria better,” Lawan said. Lawan, on arrival in Gashua on Friday headed to Zango Potash marketing to comiserate with the victims of the recent fire outbreak in the market. Residents of Gashua, in Bade Local Government Area of the state, woke up on November 16, 2019 to witness how about 20 shops loaded with potash at Zango Potash market were reduced to ashes. He announced a donation of ten million naira to support victims to cushion the effect of their loss. “We are your representatives, whatever affects you also affects us but we thank God that there was no life lost in the fire incident,” Lawan said. “We should all see it as a test from God and by His Grace, we will overcome the test...God will open up many ways for our brothers, whose property goods were burnt, to continue their trading,” Lawan said. Lawan recalled the glowing memories of the market as they grew up in the village and how it has been a source of livelihood to many.

According to the statement, which was signed by the party’s national director of publicty, Chinwe I. Nnorom, the NWC asked brahim Abdullahi Manga, Esq, deputy National Publicity Secretary and Barr. Okechukwu Osuoha, deputy National Legal Adviser, to act for the suspended officers.

However, few hours after PDP announced the suspension of Ajibade and Ologunagba, the suspended spokesman issued what seemed a counter-statement.
According to Ologunagba, the NWC suspended Ambassador Illiya Damagun and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, acting national chairman and national secretary respectively.

“Consequently, the NWC, pursuant to Sections 57, 58 and 59 of the PDP Constitution, has suspended Amb. Illiya Damagum and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu as Acting National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party respectively and referred them to the National Disciplinary Committee for further action,” Ologunagba wrote.

A senior staff of the party secretariat alleged that the federal lawmaker has been responsible for several happenings aimed at dividing the NWC.

He said, “The suspended national publicity secretary wasn’t at the said NWC meeting, as he is currently out of the country. The National Treasurer, Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, they purportedly appointed acting national chairman is from Gombe State.

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“If, indeed, the disagreement is about zoning,” he argued, “the logical thing was for them to have appointed the suspended National legal adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), acting national chairman, since he’s from Kwara state, in the same north central zone that produced Senator Iyorchia Ayu.

“The NWC has a total of 13 members. How could only two of the 13 members purport to act on behalf of the remaining 15? What is more, did you notice that the national treasurer they claimed to have appointed is playing dumb. He has yet to utter a single word. All you hear he said are statements written by the suspended spokesman and this mischievous federal lawmaker,” noted the party official.

“The same federal lawmaker who was in the thick of the Dangote refinery/NNPCL disagreement, is the one spearheading this confusion in our party. He has been deceiving one south-south governor, claiming that he controls over five dozen federal lawmakers. This is his business centre. I’m however happy that his plan for PDP has failed,” he declared.

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