Chairman of the Governors Forum of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir, has berated the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for creating moles in the membership of the Rivers State chapter of the PDP just to cause confusion and a leadership crisis to its advantage.
Bala Mohammed made the statement on Wednesday when he received a delegation of the Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees who paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor’s Office in Bauchi barely 24 hours after a delegation of the National Working Committee (NWC) paid a similar visit on Tuesday.
Bala Mohammed expressed concern about the struggle to control PDP leadership in Rivers State between the incumbent governor, Siminalaye Fubara, and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is the FCT Minister in the APC-led Federal Government.
The governor attributed the incident to a plan by the APC to create moles within PDP-controlled states to its advantage at the expense of the good people of the state.
The Governor, however, stated that efforts are being made to make strong decisions aimed at unifying the party at whatever cost because, according to him, “We cannot compromise peace and unity of our great party.”
He also stated that the party needs to cover more grounds in order for it to reunite the members ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The governor said that the party will try as much as possible to minimise rancour and division and give direction to the party, adding that if the leaders in the party comply with the rule of law have mutual respect and eschew personal interest, the party will bounce back again.
According to him, “As elders of the party, you are more important to us now because that will show what we are as a people, group and party. I thank you most sincerely for coming today just as the National Working Committee came and left yesterday; it is as if it is prearranged, but it is just a pleasant coincidence that you are here to discuss the party.”
He added that, “As Chairman of the PDP Governors” forum, we discussed with the major organ of the party, the NWC, the areas we have discussed and raised, and I believe one of the decisions that we took in Enugu, you were there and you can see that the governors were united on most of these major areas.”
The PDP Governors Forum Chairman stressed that “I cannot talk without the mandate of the governors; the governors are with you, and we will make sure that every disparaging body, entity or person is brought together. I think you can do better, I understand you are going around to all the other sections where there are problems and that is why we have you, but be rest assured that we, as governors, will try as much as possible to minimise rancour, division and give direction.”
“In a democracy like ours, we cannot dictate, the NWC is the major administrative organ of the party, we have to get it right there. There should be Justice and equity; we must respect our constitution and its provisions,” he said
Speaking earlier in a remark, the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees and former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, said that members of the Board of Trustees are in the state to consult with the governor concerning the crisis rocking the party.
Adolphus Wabara stressed that, “We are not happy with what is happening in the party; I don’t think Nigerians are happy with what is happening in the party. You will recall some months ago, this same Board wanted to swing into action, but the interpretation then was that it would look as if it were a duplication of functions; otherwise, what is happening now would have been nibbed in the bud a long time ago.”
According to him, “You, as the president of the PDP, when you advised against it, we said our President has spoken, so we could not do otherwise. But like the saying goes, God’s timing is the best, our ancestors, the founders of this party, knows that we missed it last year, and we missed it in 2019, but they have asked us to start early now to cross the T’s and dot the I’s.”
“The problem in Rivers state, the problem in NWC, we know how to address and resolve issues in the PDP. We will not allow any factionalization of ideas or positions to wreck the party; we know what we are suffering,” he said.
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