Speaking to journalists in Abuja yesterday, Tukur said those who formed the ‘New PDP’ were anti-democratic forces and would be made to face the consequences of their actions.
“All persons elected on the platform of our great party at all levels who identify with these enemies of the oneness and greatness of our party shall have their seats declared vacant as required by law,” he said while addressing what he termed a ‘world news conference.’news conference’.
Seven governors, 22 senators, 57 House of Representatives members and many other party chieftains have so far pledged allegiance to the PDP faction led by Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, which was formed on Saturday.
The faction has filed two separate court cases seeking the ouster of the Tukur-led national executive, and says it plans to open a parallel national secretariat in Abuja. Tukur yesterday said he remained firmly in charge, and warned that the defectors risked expulsion from the party and prosecution by security agencies.
“The PDP has only one duly elected national executive committee under my chairmanship,” he said, adding “any group of persons parading themselves as leaders of NEC or any other organ of our party are impostors and I urge Nigerians, especially the security agencies and other institutions of democracy, to regard them as such.
“Let me state categorically that the PDP as the sole custodian of the mandate of over 160 million Nigerians who in the last fourteen years lifted high the banner of democracy will not fold its arms while some undemocratic and unpatriotic elements destroy our common destiny by causing divisions and confusion among the people.”
The ‘New PDP’ governors are Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) and Sule Lamido (Jigawa).
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is also in the faction, which has Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as national secretary and Dr. Sam Jaja as deputy national chairman.
Both Oyinlola and Jaja are formerly in the Tukur-led national working committee, while Baraje was once acting national chairman of the party.
Apparently referring to the factional leaders, Tukur said, “we shall ensure that any person who is not duly elected into any leadership position in our great party and has not been duly assigned any role but goes ahead to arrogate such to himself will be made to face the full wrath of the law.”
He added: “We shall leave no stone unturned to ensure that such persons and indeed any other individual who attempts to subvert the leadership of the PDP shall reap in full, the consequences of such actions.
“I wish to emphasize that the PDP has adequate mechanism for internal conflict resolution. All party members are therefore advised to ventilate their grievances through this medium. There is only one lawfully recognised PDP and I am firmly in charge.”
‘Ignorant joker’
But in a swift reaction, factional PDP chairman Baraje described Tukur as being ignorant of party politics.
“We are not surprised because he is ignorant of party politics. In any case the process of recalling or declaring seats vacant is very well known. To wake up and threaten to recall people is to show that he is ignorant and unfit to be called PDP national chairman,” he said.
Also, members of the House of Representatives in the ‘New PDP’ responded to Tukur, saying his threats were empty and would not deter them in any way.
Rep Zakari Mohammed said if Tukur made good his threats, the lawmakers would challenge him in court.
“He should go and read the party’s constitution and electoral laws very well. There is faction; even the president himself knows that there is faction. All these things are just empty threats. This is not a system where someone will talk down on another,” Mohammed told Daily Trust.
“All of us agreed to be members of the party. Bamanga is as important as the party and we’re as important as the party too, so nobody can talk down on anybody. But if he does that, we’ll go to court. The court will interpret it better.”
Tukur’s threats to the ‘New PDP’ members came a day after fence-mending discussions opened with the factional governors stalled. But governors loyal to the president, along with Tukur, had held a meeting late Tuesday night at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Governors and others who broke away from the PDP had cited, among others, persisting arbitrariness of Tukur with the backing of President Jonathan in piloting the affairs of the party. Fresh rounds of talks to resolve the impasse are scheduled to resume on Tuesday, with Jonathan and all PDP governors.
Also, a meeting of party elders convened by former President Olusegun Obasanjo is expected to hold tomorrow, to try to find ways of resolving the issues that caused the break of the PDP.
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