Niger PDP crisis: Group kicks against Saraki-led committee’s decision

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Tanko Beji-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Niger State, has rejected the recommendations offered by the Senator Bukola Saraki-led committee to restore normalcy in the party.
The faction on Thursday in a statement signed by its Media Officer, Yahaya Mohammed Usman and made available to journalists in Minna stated that the decision might be tested in a court of law to strengthen the party’s constitution and obedience to rule of law and democratic tenets.
It would be recalled the PDP state Congress that had two main contestants Tanko Benji, outgoing Chairman of the party seeking a second term, and Alhaji Mukhtar Ahmed was postponed due to violence that stalled the exercise.
The faction described the recommendations as inconceivable, unheard off and cannot stand common sense nor logic.
“The decision of the Saraki-led reconciliation committee that the two contestants for the position of party chairmanship in Niger should “step down” for no reason other than satisfying wishful interest is hereby rejected and if need be, might be tested in a court of law to strengthen the party’s constitution and obedience to rule of law and democratic tenets.
“The committee which came on board One year after the two contestants; Bar Tanko Beji and Engineer Muktar Ahmed have purchased and filled nomination forms, cannot ask persons who have purchased PDP forms to contest positions to step aside for no reason,” according to the Tanko Beji media officer.
The statement further stated, “It is even worse when it was clear the target was to stop Barrister Tanko Beji by all means; if you take into account that Engr. Mukhtar Ahmed and Dr. Babangida Aliyu pre-empted correctly the outcome of all the committee’s meetings weeks before such a decision was announced and even “leaked it” before Senator Bukola Saraki and other members of the committee at a meeting.
The group insisted, “we stand by our position, and if we are to nominate 100 times, we will nominate Barrister Tanko Beji as our Candidate, again and again. Make no mistake”.
It then added that the nomination can only be overridden or upheld by a free, fair and transparent congress, not a reconciliation committee or any other committee.