On Tuesday, the PDP Leadership League, a faction within the party, urged the National Working Committee (NWC) to punish individuals who willfully harmed the party’s chances of winning the general election in 2023.
Mrs. May Ubeku, Mr. Ose Anenih, Mr. John Shuaibu, and Mr. Babasola Kuti, members of the group’s national caucus, made the call in a statement released in Abuja and signed by the group.
The league denounced what it called Sen. Iyorchia Ayu’s ward executives in Benue’s illegal suspension of the PDP National Chairman.
It affirmed its dedication to advancing the PDP and its core principles and urged the party’s leadership to demonstrate to the outside world that no party member was bigger than the PDP.
It stressed that since elections were over and litigations had started, the PDP needed to do a post-mortem and identify members and leaders who deliberately sabotaged its efforts to rescue Nigeria.
It frowned at the activities of some party leaders and members including the “G-5 Governors’’, who flouted PDP’s fundamental rules and guidelines during the run-up to, and during the elections proper.
The group stated also that no party could be built where leaders believed they were kings and emperors; untouchable because they regarded themselves as being above the law.
“Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers, in spite of his actions against the presidential candidate of the party and the NWC, secured a court injunction restraining the party from disciplining him as did Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue.
“We are pleased to see that other party leaders who betrayed the party and their followers are being suspended and expelled by the NWC.
“We applaud the party’s decision to respect the courts.
“Once the injunctions are set aside, we urge the party to show the world that no man is bigger than the PDP, no matter how much power, wealth or violence he may claim to control,’’ the group stated.
It noted that of more concern was Wike’s “magisterial press conference’’ where he spoke as if the PDP was one of Rivers local government councils.
It alleged that at the news conference, Wike claimed to have reversed the suspension of former Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti, who confessed on national television to have supported the APC’s candidates at the just-concluded elections.
“The PDP is a national party. It was not formed as a vehicle to grab power; neither was it formed as a platform of convenience for the expression of regional ambitions.
“We are a national party owned by all Nigerians who yearn for a better and brighter future for themselves and for their children.
“No man can buy the dreams of Nigerians; no man can buy the PDP,’’ it stressed.
It noted that while every vote mattered in politics, party discipline must be seen to equally apply to all members.
“Any member with a genuine grievance can use official channels and platforms to air the concerns.
“If the grievances are irreconcilable, the thing to do is to leave the party and find familiar bedfellows elsewhere rather than remaining within the PDP to destroy those who made you who you are.
“That is a cowardly thing to do,’’ it stated.
The group, however, urged the NWC to give all offending members fair hearing, no matter how grievous or provocative their actions might appear to be.
It said that the PDP could not in pursuit of discipline; become guilty of violating fundamental provisions of its own Constitution.
The group added that the just-concluded elections showed that PDP must be reformed if it intends to truly represent the dreams and aspirations of the electorate by harvesting a few low-hanging fruits.
It advised the PDP to eschew the delegate system and embrace direct primaries and also wean the party from the deep pockets of individuals. (NAN)
