By Emmanuel Oloniruha
THE PEOPLES Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF) on Tuesday said that the internal crisis rocking the party has been resolved.
The forum’s chairman, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, stated this in an interview with newsmen at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after the forum’s meeting.
Mohammed said that stakeholders within the party had agreed that all the suspensions within the National Working Committee (NWC) be set aside and the status quo maintained.
He said that the forum, alongside the National Assembly caucus and the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), had met and reaffirmed that “there is no faction in PDP.
“All the suspensions you heard about have been resolved by the governors, the NWC, the caucus of the National Assembly and the BoT.
“There is no faction; everything has reverted to the status quo under the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, pending the time the governors and other organs of the party will sit down and resolve all the issues.
“There is no party that does not have problems. Some of them are legal, and we do not want to preempt the outcome of the legal procedures.
“So, whatever speculations and perceptions that might have gone out are wrong.
“Both parties have agreed that in the interest of the party and Nigeria, we should return to the status quo before the suspension and counter-suspension.
“These suspensions have been lifted; there are no more suspensions. That is the resolution of the PDP-GF,” he said.
Mohammed advised members of the party to make sacrifices and come together.
“Yes, we may have ill feelings here and there but we should bury them. Our personal feelings should not be allowed to create perceptions that seem to divide us,” he said.
Asked if the Oct. 24 NWC meeting of the party would still hold, Mohamed said that the governors, BoT and NWC would discuss it.
Also speaking with newsmen at the airport, the acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagum, said there was no crisis in the party.
Damagum said that some people only wanted to take advantage of the situation.
He urged the media not to escalate things, even where there was no crisis.
“As far as I’m concerned, the governors are our leaders and critical organs of this party, and when they speak, we must look at it holistically and also abide by it,” he said.
Asked if the two suspended members of NWC, Debo Ologunagba and Kamaldeen Ajibade, had left PDP, Damagum said that they were still in the party.
Meanwhile, a communique issued by the PDP-GF after the forum’s virtual meeting held on Monday and Tuesday, said that the party was careful in addressing issues, particularly those over which there were pending legal disputations.
The communique, signed by Mohammed, said that after consultations with BOT, NWC and other organs of the party, the forum resolved “that the NWC should revert to the status quo and remain united in the interest of the party and the nation.
“We also resolved that all suspensions issued on officials across the parties within the NWC have been lifted forthwith.
“That there are no factions in the party and minor issues should not be blown out of proportion.
“We also urge that occupants of positions of responsibility should be mindful of their vow to serve and grow the party from strength to strength, consolidating on the dreams of our founding fathers,” the communique stated.
Other attendees of the virtual meeting, according to the communique, were governors of Rivers, Bayelsa, Edo, Oyo, Osun, Zamfara Delta, Adamawa, Plateau and Enugu states.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that two factions of the party NWC had, on Friday, emerged within the PDP, with each faction suspending key officers of the NWC.
The Damagum-led faction of the NWC had suspended the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, for alleged disloyalty.
The faction also appointed their deputies, Manga and Osuoha as acting national publicity secretary and acting national legal adviser, respectively.
Meanwhile, another NWC faction, in a statement issued by Ologunagba, also announced the suspension of Damagum and the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, for alleged anti-party activity.
The faction also announced Alhaji Yayari Mohammed as the new acting national chairman of the party. (NAN)
