Young PDP Stakeholders under the auspices of CONCERNED PDP LEAGUE in a swift reaction have vehemently condemned the statements credited to both a former governor of Niger State, HE, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, and a former aviation minister, Chief Femi Fani Kayode.
The duo in separate events made statements that the group considered insensitive. Dr. Babangida Aliyu has claimed that PDP despite its earlier position has rezoned the presidency to the North while hosting the Atiku Support Organisation, he disclosed.
Also In an interview with Channels Television on Friday, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode asked HE Bala Mohammed, Governor of Bauchi state to join the APC to contest the ruling party’s Presidential ticket if the PDP denied him the slot. He further said the Kogi governor would defeat the former Vice-President squarely.
The group that was responsible for the initiation of the Secondus must Go campaign that snowballed to all the NWC members leaving and very vocal in the advocacy of PDP rediscovering itself, expressed its displeasure via a press release jointly signed by the Leader, Deputy Leader, General Secretary and organisation and mobilization secretary, after it’s National Executive meeting in the early hours of Saturday afternoon.
The press release reads below: Aliyu and FFK Again!
We have read with great disappointment the statement credited to the former governor of Niger state Dr. Babangida Aliyu claiming while receiving the Atiku Support Organisation that, “In our zoning agreement, we have agreed to rezone it to the North as requested by others but we have agreed written and openly as a result of what has happened that any candidate from any part of the country can now contest this election,” while the former minister of aviation, Chief Femi Fani-kayode in an interview with Channels TV on Friday, asked His Excellency Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi state to join the APC to contest the ruling party’s presidential ticket if the PDP denied him the slot. He further said the governor of Kogi State would defeat the former vice-president squarely, and we want to immediately react and condemn the same in its entirety.
Dr. Babangida Aliyu’s statement is capable of causing regional suspicion and disaffection in our beloved party and it is inconsistent with our great party constitution as amended 2017, Section 10, subsection 2, which reads; No member of the Party at any level shall divulge the proceedings and decisions of the Party unless expressly authorized. This is true because, there is no official statement to that effect from the National Chairman, National Secretary, National Organizing Secretary, or National Publicity Secretary to the teeming millions of PDP members. We call on the party national leadership to clear the air on this matter, if they were the ones that authorize him to make such statement or if there’s any of such agreement, if not, institute disciplinary action against him in other not to start their tenure with the setting of bad precedence.
The same Dr. Babangida Aliyu was one of those that contributed in no small measure to our great party’s misfortune in 2015. He even boasted how he galvanize PDP Northern governors to work against the party and that led to his suspension by his state chapter. He has the right to support whoever he wishes but not to mislead party patriots and Nigerians with unfounded claims for personal interest’s sake. The new national leadership needs to be very careful with him and caution him.
In the same vine, we condemned chief Fani-Kayode call for the Bauchi state governor, His Excellency Bala Mohammed to decamp to APC, a party that has not been able to conduct the National Convention and with a plethora of Presidential aspirants. We believe FFK pedestrian networking, inducement, and enticement will not work with governor Bala Mohammed who is too wise for such. If so, why did APC not give Alhaji Atiku the ticket in 2014? Indeed former President Obasanjo did not miss words or points in his description of who FFK is.
It’s crucial and critical to understand that if everyone leaves a party because of his or her ambitions, who will build the party for those returning to come and contest? Some members of our group have been denied Chairmanship, Assembly, and Rep ticket but they did not leave. Also, a very prominent good example is our Former National Chairman, former 2-time Governor of Kaduna state and former senator, His Excellency, Most Distinguished Senator, Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, who has never decamped from the party nor worked against the party majority interest and decisions. Does that mean he has never had reasons to leave but has refused? No. There are many people like him at our great party. And please FFK should leave His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and PDP alone and focus on his cancerous party.
Therefore, we call on PDP faithful and Nigerians to take with a pinch of salt the statement credit to both men. As for the zoning of the 2023 Presidency, we will make our position known soon via a press release and communicate the same to the leadership.
God bless Nigeria, God Bless PDP, God Bless Concerned PDP League.
Signed:
Comrade Daboikiabo Warmate Leader
Hajiya Fatima A. UmarDeputy Leader
Alhaji Tasiu Muhammed General Secretary
Comrade Gbenga Adedamola, Organizing/Mobilization Secretary