Nigeria: Politics
Lilian Madaki
SaWaBiYaNEWS
Lt. Gen (Rtd) Senator Jeremiah Useni has advised the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to see ahead, use wisdom and quickly move to resolve internal Crises in different States chapters before the 2023 general elections in Nigeria as “laying something on nothing, expecting something, will amount to achieving nothing”.
Useni gave the advise while addressing the gathering of agrieved aspirants vying for various offices of the party in the state.
“As a leader, I am not happy about what has happened in the recent past. But I am not going anywhere, I will remain in PDP to share my experience with the younger ones on how to run a successful opposition party with capacity to be a societal watchdog.”
“I am in PDP for solutions and not divisions. We must live together as one. God brought us together ro live as one otherwise we will be having useless fights which will not help us. There must be a solution that is fair to every member.” Said the General.
On the party’s State Congress of 29th August, 2020, Gen. Useni said, “the right thing was not done, my hand no deh inside, my hand no deh inside, my hand no deh inside oo.”
He called on all party faithful to remain calm and peaceful since the Courts are adjudicating on the matter.
He further advised the national leadership of the PDP to do more to resolve crisis to rock the Party in some the North Central States and frowned at the situation where the party has only one state Governor in the whole Zone.
Earlier, the agrieved aspirants who boycotted the 29th August, 2020 congresses due what they termed as non adherence to stipulated rules and regulations of the PDP as stated in the Party’s Constitution.
This part of the story background was reported in their press statement on 27th August, 2020.
The aspirants said, they are in General Useni’s House to acknowledge him as a Leader and to pledge their loyalty to him.
The aspirants who spoke through one of the Chairmanship aspirants and a former member of the National Assembly, Hon. Bitrus Kaze briefed Sen. JT Useni on the event that led to their boycotting of the Congress and instituting of legal action to challenge the exercise in the Courts.
Kaze narrated how they had exusted deligently all avenues aimed at ensuring fairness and the pursuit of justice but their efforts were thwarted at the state level.
They appreciated Sen.Useni for all his sacrifices in keeping the party going in Plateau and for his intervention to bring about a semblance of fair contest in the ward congresses.
Recently, some party members came from Plateau to Abuja. Senator Mantu phoned and recommended that I should see them because they wanted to greet me. Should I have refused to see my party members, or brothers and sisters from Plateau? So, when I met them I told them that I was not happy with what happened with the party. That doesn’t mean I accepted anything. I did not endorse anyone because the right thing was not done.
“We want peace in Plateau. There will be no fight. We cannot give up on achieving peace and unity in the party.”
Recalled that, the aggrieved aspirants had issued out a Statement, calling for the stop of PDP Congress on the Plateau barely some hours to the conduct of the State Congress on Saturday, 29th August, 2020 which accordingto them, was in the interest of all.
The aspirants who said were neither screen, called, sms nor contacted for any meeting regarding the process, including non observance of contitutional guides of the PDP had also called on National to recall the congress officials sent to the state for conduct of the exercise pending resolutions as directed by Gov. Ortom’s committee few days as at then.
The aggrieved members also queried the party’s National Working Committee, NWC for carrying out deliberate plans to disenfranchise some of the would be aspirants vying for various positions in the party, calling on the NWC to reverse its decision to hold the congress, until every issue has been resolved.
Meanwhile Senator Suleiman Odokwe and the Chairman of the Electoral Congress Committee from the PDP National Secretariat, Major-General Kweskebe (Rtd) could not give any listening ears to that complain nor did they invited the aggrieved aspirants for an interface concerning the complains.
The duo went ahead with the exercise with a faction of the Party which according to report, were all declared winners.
The development had earlier on led to two members of the reconstituted caretaker committee, Professor Dimis Mailafiya and Jacob Dashe withdrawing their membership from the committee which they both said, their intergrity were at stage should they take part in such an undemocratic process.
SAWABIYANews 