Bauchi State governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, has disclosed that many founding fathers and some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who are aggrieved with the system have concluded plans to dump the party......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
The governor was concerned that such action would weaken the strength of the party and might, undoubtedly, affect its victory chances in coming elections.
Senator Mohammed who disclosed this in a BBC Hausa Service on Saturday said that members of the PDP said they have completely lost trust and hope in the party, making reference to the prolonged leadership challenge that seems not to have any solution.
He alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had either planted some persons at the leadership of the party or had contracted some moles to silently work against the peace and unity of the party.
He said: “You made reference to former Sokoto governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, that reportedly dumped the party, I can tell you that more people who are higher than him in rank and influence are on the verge of leaving the party.
“Few weeks ago, PDP youth leaders from the states visited me, and in the cause of the meeting, I asked them to appeal to the aggrieved founding members to exercise more patients with the party, because we are working on fixing the challenges within the shortest time possible. If that is not done, we will simply and cheaply play to the plans of the ruling APC, and that might result in the extinction of the PDP.
“Many of them are thinking of forming another political party, but that won’t have effect like the PDP. But the thing is that many founding members of the party said they are tired of the leadership and administrative instability in the party and might soon leave the party. I won’t disclose their identities because I don’t want them to leave.
“There’s a serious plan by some of these aggrieved persons to join another small political party as alternative, perhaps, in preparation for 2027 general election. Even with this plan ongoing, I appeal to them to have a change of thought and tarry a while as we fix the challenges in our party.”
He confirmed that PDP and its governors are working hard to restore the lost glory of the party, saying that would be achieved in the shortest time possible.
“But we need to come together and strengthen PDP, and once it’s done, we can develop a strategy for victory in the coming elections and form the government to serve our people better.
“Nigerians are waiting for us to put our house in order, present credible and competent individuals for elections in the next cycle. But being divided might or will affect our chances of winning elections in future,” he said.
The Bauchi governor admitted that the major problem with the PDP is leadership and the activities of “black sheep” who had penetrated the leadership system and are playing the cards in favour of the ruling APC.
“But we cannot throw away the baby with the bath water. We will continue to work with everybody to ensure we achieve the desired success,” he said.
He also blamed the judiciary for the prolonged leadership crisis in the PDP.
His words: “Judiciary is also not helping us in this country. They keep throwing up different pronouncements that are confusing and contrary to one another.
“But we have no option, but to obey the court orders, and it’s not because of convenience, but because we are law abiding. Our systems are losing credibility and people’s confidence because of the activities of the judiciary.
“However, we have no option, but to rely on them for justice to all persons irrespective of political, religious, or ethnic differences. But if that is not done, we would be forced to take political measures to get a solution.
“These measures might be unfriendly to some people and might also not be what is written in either the constitution or guidelines of operation. We have had enough of this ‘behind the scene’ operation by some individuals who were allegedly planted in our midst to destabilize us.
“PDP is the main opposition party in Nigeria for now, and we cannot afford to allow it die, thereby silencing the power of the opposition in Nigeria. That might threaten our democracy.”
He, again, called on the aggrieved founding fathers and other members to be more patient with the party and allow the wheel of the ongoing reconciliation to complete within the shortest time, promising that better and stronger PDP will emerge sooner than expected.