lifts suspension on Wamakko

THE leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday fixed Thursday for the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting just as some of its governors are planning to frustrate moves to remove Bamanga Tukur as chairman of the party during the proposed NEC meeting.

The party leadership also lifted the suspension order on Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko, following the pressure mounted by the PDP Governors’ Forum.

The decision, which was taken at the end of a meeting in Abuja yesterday between the PDP governors and the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), however, left the fate of Rivers State Governor Rotimi Azubuike Amaechi, who was the first PDP governor to be suspended, hanging.

The inability of the Tukur-led NWC to convene the NEC meeting since July 2012 is one of the issues being held against him by party stakeholders, including the PDP governors.

Meanwhile, it emerged Monday that the faction of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) loyal to Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, had begun immediate campaign against moves by some PDP governors to remove Tukur at Thursday’s NEC meeting.

The Guardian learnt that a select committee of PDP governors, including a governor in one of the North Central states, had begun talks with other party stalwarts to douse the tension against Tukur. The NEC meeting was one of the requests tabled before the PDP NWC meeting at the party’s Presidential Campaign Office in Legacy House in Abuja Monday.

However, some PDP governors still angry with Tukur on account of his leadership style and the circumstances surrounding his election as party chairman, were still in strong league with some National Assembly members and state chairmen of the party to ignite the move against Tukur at the NEC meeting.

At a closed-door meeting before the announcement of Wamakko’s recall, Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, was said to have assured Tukur that the forum would prevail on other governors moving against him to sheathe the sword to forestall any crisis at the NEC meeting.

Tukur was said to have vowed to cancel the NEC meeting should those forces against him remain adamant. He told journalists after the meeting: “We are going to have NEC meeting on Thursday. Also, we have the support to rescind the suspension, which is very important thing. So, we rescind the suspension of our governor of Sokoto.”

Tukur, however, warned that the party would not be lenient with any member, stating: “Be warned we are not going to sit down and allow our great party harbour indiscipline. I will plead that none of these issues will ever come up again.”

Akpabio had earlier briefed journalists about how the PDP NWC was persuaded to convene the Thursday NEC meeting as well lift Wamakko’s suspension.

Akpabio, on his part, stated: “I want to thank the national chairman and members of the working committee for granting us the privilege of this meeting today.

“We came as a select committee of the Peoples Democratic Party to discuss the state of affairs of our great party, particularly the relationship between the working committee and the PDP governors, and I want to say that we make a very strong appeal to the working committee on behalf of our colleague, the Governor of Sokoto State, Wamakko.

“And our appeal was very simple - that the working committee should consider the decision suspending the governor - and we say as guarantors that we will be of good conduct and will do everything possible to continue to show respect on our part and ensure that cordiality is maintained between the working committee and the PDP governors.

“We took this decision based on the numerous media reports, some of which are misleading and are not really the true reflection of the relationship existing between the PDP governors and the working committee of our great party.”

Akpabio added: “Yes indeed, the suspension is a clear indication that the party does not like indiscipline, but we appeal that the decision should be rescinded and we undertake to ensure that our colleague, the governor of Sokoto would come with us to meet with the working committee and then of course whatever issue is in contention will be definitely resolved, that is our appeal and that was our mission.”

On why the suspension of Amaechi was not lifted, Akpabio said the PDP Governors’ Forum could not push his case because he had taken the party leadership to court over the suspension.