. South-West PDP Lines up Behind OBJ
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has appealed to former President Olusegun Obasanjo not to leave the PDP, saying his experience and aura are needed to move the party forward. The PDP chairman’s appeal is contained in a reply to a letter written to him by Obasanjo dated January 7, 2014. A copy of the letter was sent to President Goodluck Jonathan.
Alhaji Tukur explained that he met the crisis, which Obasanjo complained about, in the South-West PDP and that the party required the assistance of the former president to resolve the matter.
In the letter which was reported by a section of the media yesterday, the former president said, though he would remain a card-carrying member of the party, he would no longer participate in the activities of the PDP because the headquarters of the party had handed over the South-West PDP to Prince Buruji Kashamu, whom he accused of being a criminal and drug peddler.
Obasanjo wrote in his letter thus: “Politics played by any national political party must have morality, decency, discipline, principles and leadership examples as cardinal practices of the party.”
“I have attached here recent documents that clearly indicates that you extolled PDP Zonal leader in the South West of Nigeria and an indigene of Ogun State, who is, to say the least, not a credit to the party as a member let alone being a zonal leader.”
Obasanjo added that, “While I believe that a good and truly national political party must be a microcosm of the nation in its membership, made up of all sorts of characters from near-saints to near-satan, I also believe that on no account should a known habitual criminal that is wanted abroad to face criminal charges levelled against him be extolled as a political leader in a respectable and wholesome nation-building political party.
He said further that, “Since I stick in my practice of party politics to the hallowed and cherished principles enunciated above, I take this opportunity to let you know that while I continue to remain a card-carrying member of PDP, I cannot and I will not subscribe to a wanted habitual criminal being installed as my zonal leader in the party; a criminal for whom extradition has been requested by the US government.”
In his reply last night, the PDP national chairman said, the party has more pressing challenges bothering it, most importantly on the coming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states as well as the overall general election scheduled for 2015, saying all these require strong inputs from the former president.
He stressed that there’s the need for the ruling party to reclaim the lost grounds in the South-West, saying this requires the full support of party leaders like Obasanjo.
‘How Kashamu became PDP leader in South-West’
The PDP chairman also expressed gratitude at the manner of approach by the president in presenting his grievances on issues in the PDP South-West, stressing, “I thank you for your gesture and I pray that we shall all continue to dialogue and partner to move our party forward.”
The PDP chairman took time to address the complaint by the former President on the state of PDP in the South-West. He said the crises within the PDP in the zone had been there before he took over the mantle of leadership of the party.
He noted also that the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Working Committee of PDP were never part of the problems in the South-West PDP, adding, “We came in when we were threatened with contempt of Court Charges for not obeying the court’s order to dissolve the South-West zonal Executive and remove some officers of the party.
Tukur wrote: “It is an honour that you deemed it fit and proper to intimate me with an issue important to your mind and our party in the South-West zone. It is my wish and prayer that such cordial and positive relationship will continue between your good self; former President and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of our great party on one hand, and my humble self, the National Chairman of our party on the other hand.
“Buruji Kasamu came to limelight in politics as a result of the role he played in the politics of Ogun state where both of you come from. He later became a rallying point in the South-West following the Courts’ Orders in the series of cases brought about as a result of disagreements among leaders of the party in the South-West, and Ogun State in particular.
“In my opinion, Buruji became a rallying point because of the absence of a zonal executive in the South-West. This vacuum in the South-West has made him the person to whom many members in all the chapters of the party in the zone approach for one form of assistance or the order”
Tukur added that the PDP plans to conduct a zonal congress in the South-West zone to elect new zonal executive to be in authority in the zone, in compliance with the orders of the courts.
SOUTH-WEST LEADERS LINE UP BEHIND OBASANJO
Leaders and elders of the party in the South-West zone yesterday aligned with former President Olusegun Obasanjo on his position that sanity should be injected into the party, especially in the zone, by ensuring that any known criminal is no longer extolled or placed in the position of leadership of the party, for posterity.
The PDP South-West leaders and elders rose from a special meeting in Ibadan on Saturday, stressing the need to find a lasting solution to the multi-faceted crises polarizing the Yoruba people with a view to returning to race to its rightful frontline position in the national polity.
The meeting which was convened by former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN, resolved that “any identified criminal element would not be allowed into the leadership of the PDP in the on-going quest to sanitize the party.”
In his opening address, Chief Akinjide declared: “Yorubaland is in crisis and that is why we have summoned this meeting. We want unity of the Yoruba people hence the meeting of the core leaders and elders of the Yoruba. It is a family meeting of sort to tell ourselves the bitter truth and those who are not called should pardon us.
“The latest letter by former President Obasanjo, if well read, is in support of what we are doing here today. There is the urgent need to sanitize the polity and any drug addict cannot be our leader here in the South-West. The criminal element who wants to be leader of PDP will not succeed.”
One of those who attended the meeting told our reporter last night that Obasanjo’s letter to Tukur could truncate efforts by the Board of Trustees to bring about reconciliation in the PDP.
He said, “With that letter, Obasanjo is saying he would not be available for the BoT reconciliation meeting planned for next week. Tony Anenih and other BoT members had planned to meet him and iron out issues between him and Jonathan, but if he said he would not participate in the party’s activities from local to national levels, then the reconciliation meeting cannot hold. It’s as serious as that.”
In attendance at the meeting were PDP leaders and elders from all the six states of the South-West zone including Chief Richard Akinjide, Professor Tunde Adeniran, Chief Abiola Ogundokun, Dr. Bode Olajumoke, Dr. Saka Balogun, Chief Jacob Adetoro, Dr. Sola Oladeinde, Senator Gbenga Ogunniya, Minister of State for the FCT, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide; Ambassador Taofeeq Arapaja, Engr. Jide Adeniji and Senator Bode Olowoporoku. Others are Mr Dipo Jimilehin, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Dr. Muyiwa Oladimeji, Alhaji Azeem Gbolarumi, Mr Bisi Omoyeni, Dr. Gbola Adetunji and Mr. Taiwo Akeju, among others.
‘Obasanjo should join APC’
A former Minister of Aviation and close associate of the former president, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, told our reporter last night that Obasanjo’s letter to the PDP chairman and decision to withdraw from the party’s activities was because of the frustration he had suffered in the party.
“Baba wrote a letter to Jonathan, asking that certain things which are wrong would be corrected. Instead of harkening to his counsel, the presidency rather attacked him. Obasanjo has been trying to save the party, but things are being done on the contrary. So, he decided to suspend his participation in the activities of the PDP. On our part, we want him to go a step further by deciding to join the All Progressives Congress (APC). That’s the final step he should take,” he said.
Source: Sunday Trust
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