PDP Governors raise alarm over plot to factionalise party

• As party holds stormy NEC meeting today

• Fate of Damagun, Acting Chairman hanging

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party have raised the alarm that some persons whom they described as ‘marauders’ are  hiding somewhere, trying to factionalize the PDP with a view to taking one faction to go and do coalition.

The alarm is coming on the heel of today’s 98th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting if the PDP, which id expected to take some critical decisions aimed at moving the party forward.

Rising from a crucial meeting yesterday in Abuja, the PDP Governors, who spoke to journalists through their Chairman and Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, vowed that they would not allow such to happen.

At the end of the meeting, which took place at the Akwa Ibom Governor’s lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, and lasted for about three hours, the PDP Governors pointed out that the decision on the issue of the party’s National Chairman, which has become contentious over the past few weeks, can only be taken by the NEC meeting holding today.

According to the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed, “We know that they are some marauders hiding somewhere trying to factionalize our party and take one faction to go and do coalition.

“We are not going to allow that as governors.

“We are very responsible and we are very credible and we will make sure we are resolve all the issues and unify the party for maximum efficiency and success in the next election.

Answering questions on the issue of the party’s chairmanship and others, Senator Mohammed said, “We are talking about resolving all the issues and going forward, so that at the end of the day, the timeline allowed in the constitution for Congresses and what have you, would have been done.

“But certainly the public are free to permutate, to discuss and off course NEC will decide on some of these issues.

“There is no any contending forces. Who is NEC? NEC is the PDP Governors Forum and other stakeholders, so we are just a portion of NEC.

“We cannot talk on behalf of NEC, until we get there. NEC will take decisions on such issues not the Governors.

“I know the Governors normally take leadership position, but we have an acting person in leadership capacity leading the party and NEC will decide weather it is time to fill the vacancy, looking at the legal implications of doing that, knowing that they are so many lingering litigations in court and of course we don’t want to disparage ourselves”, he said.

A communique issued at the end of their meeting , reads, “The meeting deliberated on various issues of interest and concern to the Forum and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and issued the following Communiqué:

“The meeting reviewed recent developments in the Peoples Democratic Party and urged the National Working Committee of the Party to set in motion the machinery to conduct credible congresses in all the States where tenures of Party officers have expired.

“The meeting noted that there are no factions in the PDP and everybody is working together.

“We equally want to use this opportunity to reaffirm that in Rivers State, the Governors would work assiduously towards resolving all the issues in the State with a view to uniting all the Stakeholders.

“The PDP Governors congratulated the host, His Excellency, Governor Umo Basey Eno, for his hospitality in hosting of the meeting”, the communique said.

Aside Mohammed, other Governors in attendance were; Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers State/Vice Chairman), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa State), Umo Eno ( Akwa Ibom State), Douye Diri (Bayelsa State) and Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta State).

The Deputy Governors of Edo and Enugu States, Omobayo M. Godwins and Ifeanyi Ossai represented their Governors at the meeting.