The National Working Committee of the Peoples
Democratic Party rose from a crucial meeting in Abuja on Monday,
lamenting the loss of five states to opposition political parties during
the April 26 governorship election.
The states are Oyo and Ogun states which were won by the Action Congress of Nigeria; Nasarawa, Congress for Political Change; Zamfara, All Nigerian Peoples Party; and Imo, All Progressives Grand Alliance.
The PDP, however, won in Kano State, which is currently being governed by the ANPP.
“The loss in these states is a sacrifice we have to make for our democracy,” said the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Rufai Alkali.
Alkali, who declined to speak on the agenda of the meeting, added that the PDP NWC noted that the party also lost “several seats in the National Assembly.”
Rufai said that it was gratifying that “despite the losses, we did not embark on demonstration or call for violence.”
Alleging that the PDP and its members ‘became objects of attacks’ in some states, he said that the NWC sympathised with those that lost either their loved ones or properties to the riots that greeted the results of the presidential election in some states in the North.
“We sympathise with those who lost their relations and families in the post-election violence. It was uncalled for,” he said.
On the decision by the presidential candidate of the CPC, Maj.Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to challenge the outcome of the presidential election in court, Rufai said it was a welcome decision.
He said though Buhari had told Nigerians that he would not go to tribunal if he failed at the poll, he said his decision not to honour his own words was his constitutional right.
The PDP spokesman said, “Litigation is meant to divert the attention of the winner of elections and that is why we welcome the decision of our members who lost elections not to go to tribunals.
“However, it is the right of anybody that lose election to go to court. Buhari promised not to, but he has changed his mind. It is constitutional right.”
Our correspondent learnt on Monday that the PDP national caucus would meet in Abuja on Tuesday (today) to take a decision on the zoning of political offices among the six geopolitical zones in the country.
It was also learnt that the leadership of the party decided to call for the caucus meeting when it was unable to arrive at a conclusion and President Goodluck Jonathan on how to zone the offices.
Offices expected to be zoned are that of the Senate President, the deputy Senate President, speaker of the House of Representatives, the deputy speaker, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and chief of staff to the President.
Almost all the four zones, except the South-South and the North-West which produced the President and his deputy, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, are scheming to produce the occupier of one of the listed offices.
While the South-East has been clamouring to have one of its members in the National Assembly as either the Senate President or the speaker, the South-West, where the current speaker, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, comes from, has also been agitating to have a replacement for him. Bankole is not returning to the House having lost his re-election bid.
Also, both the North-Central, which produced the current Senate President, Senator David Mark, and the North-East are currently at loggerheads over which of the two zones would produce the next Senate President.
Those expected at the meeting, apart from the members of the NWC, President, Vice-President, are the members of the Board of Trustees, governors elected on the PDP platform and the vice-chairmen of the party in the six geo-political zones.
The meeting is scheduled to hold at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Alkali declined to speak on today’s meeting and the NWC’s decision on the zoning formula, saying “we will comment on that at the appropriate time.”
By Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja Courtesy Of: Punch
The states are Oyo and Ogun states which were won by the Action Congress of Nigeria; Nasarawa, Congress for Political Change; Zamfara, All Nigerian Peoples Party; and Imo, All Progressives Grand Alliance.
The PDP, however, won in Kano State, which is currently being governed by the ANPP.
“The loss in these states is a sacrifice we have to make for our democracy,” said the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Rufai Alkali.
Alkali, who declined to speak on the agenda of the meeting, added that the PDP NWC noted that the party also lost “several seats in the National Assembly.”
Rufai said that it was gratifying that “despite the losses, we did not embark on demonstration or call for violence.”
Alleging that the PDP and its members ‘became objects of attacks’ in some states, he said that the NWC sympathised with those that lost either their loved ones or properties to the riots that greeted the results of the presidential election in some states in the North.
“We sympathise with those who lost their relations and families in the post-election violence. It was uncalled for,” he said.
On the decision by the presidential candidate of the CPC, Maj.Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to challenge the outcome of the presidential election in court, Rufai said it was a welcome decision.
He said though Buhari had told Nigerians that he would not go to tribunal if he failed at the poll, he said his decision not to honour his own words was his constitutional right.
The PDP spokesman said, “Litigation is meant to divert the attention of the winner of elections and that is why we welcome the decision of our members who lost elections not to go to tribunals.
“However, it is the right of anybody that lose election to go to court. Buhari promised not to, but he has changed his mind. It is constitutional right.”
Our correspondent learnt on Monday that the PDP national caucus would meet in Abuja on Tuesday (today) to take a decision on the zoning of political offices among the six geopolitical zones in the country.
It was also learnt that the leadership of the party decided to call for the caucus meeting when it was unable to arrive at a conclusion and President Goodluck Jonathan on how to zone the offices.
Offices expected to be zoned are that of the Senate President, the deputy Senate President, speaker of the House of Representatives, the deputy speaker, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and chief of staff to the President.
Almost all the four zones, except the South-South and the North-West which produced the President and his deputy, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, are scheming to produce the occupier of one of the listed offices.
While the South-East has been clamouring to have one of its members in the National Assembly as either the Senate President or the speaker, the South-West, where the current speaker, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, comes from, has also been agitating to have a replacement for him. Bankole is not returning to the House having lost his re-election bid.
Also, both the North-Central, which produced the current Senate President, Senator David Mark, and the North-East are currently at loggerheads over which of the two zones would produce the next Senate President.
Those expected at the meeting, apart from the members of the NWC, President, Vice-President, are the members of the Board of Trustees, governors elected on the PDP platform and the vice-chairmen of the party in the six geo-political zones.
The meeting is scheduled to hold at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Alkali declined to speak on today’s meeting and the NWC’s decision on the zoning formula, saying “we will comment on that at the appropriate time.”
By Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja Courtesy Of: Punch
No comments:
Post a Comment