Court Judgment: New PDP To Hold Emergency Meeting

An emergency meeting of the seven  Peoples Democratic Party governors  in the New PDP   will hold this week in Abuja.

The meeting, according to the National Publicity Secretary of the faction, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, was called by the New PDP Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, who just returned from the 2013 pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Other   stakeholders , including the National Working Committee  members of the New PDP,   would also attend the meeting which would   “exhaustively discuss the new developments and chart the way forward as there is no going back on our just struggle to rescue PDP from the hands of usurpers.”

The  meeting, according to  a statement by Eze on Sunday , will  also  decide  “on the    Federal High Court ruling and the challenges facing us as a group.”

Eze added in the statement that  the meeting   would   deliberate “on how   five  more    governors  in the PDP that have indicated interest to join the Baraje leadership will be received into  our  fold.”

But he  did not name the five new governors in the  statement.

The G-7 popularly referred to as rebel governors are  Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Sule Lamido(Jigawa), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers),  Aliyu Babangida (Niger), Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara ),  Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano).

 Eze said  the New PDP  had carefully studied Friday’s ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja which declared the NWC  headed byTukur as the authentic leadership of the PDP.

He said that as a group that had a lot of respect for the judiciary, it had  accepted the ruling in good faith  but would still appeal  against it.

Eze  said, “Even so, we have directed our legal team to appeal the judgement as a matter of urgency as we remain convinced that we have a good case and are thus determined to ensure that Tukur and his cohorts are not allowed to hold sway as the leaders of our great party.”

 He added that  contrary to some insinuations   that there was a division among   members of the New PDP, “our current travails have strengthened  us the more and acted  as   unifying factors  that have shown us that it is a matter of time that the undemocratic elements that have seized our party will be dislodged.”

The  National Chairman of the party, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, has however described the New PDP as a storm in a teacup.

Tukur made the comment     in Port Harcourt on Saturday  during the   inauguration of     the Rivers State chapter of the PDP National Youth wing of the Rural Empowerment and Advocacy Project.

 He explained that the party would continue to remain focussed despite the attempt by some of its members to break it up.

Tukur, who was  represented  by the National Youth Leader of the PDP, Alhaji Abdullahi Maibasira,   added  that PDP  members who were not ready to subject themselves to internal party discipline could leave.

He said, “We are open for reconciliation, however, anyone who feels he is too big to subject himself or herself to party discipline can leave to where there is no internal party discipline.

“The PDP remains focused. As usual, the PDP remains the party to beat in 2015 and we will perform better at the polls if we are united.

 “The courts in interpreting the nation’s constitution declared that there is no party as the New PDP. The Independent National Electoral Commission in interpreting the Electoral Act, has also insisted that there is nothing like the New PDP.”

 Tukur urged members in the state to support President Goodluck Jonathan if he (Jonathan) decided to seek re-election in 2015.