The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has named a 14-man committee to investigate the outcome of the 2019 presidential and other elections and to find out what led to the party’s defeat.
The party’s candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar lost to President Muhammadu Buhari in the February 2019 poll by 11,262, 978 votes to 15,191,847. Atiku challenged the results of the election at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal and lost while the Supreme Court, which had his appeal against the tribunal judgment, affirmed the election of the president.
The committee is to be chaired by the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed with the party’s Deputy National Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Agbo, as secretary.
Other members of the committee are Hon. Austin Opara and Senator Stella Oduah from the South-south zone while the South-east has Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwaifuru and Mr. Austin Nnamani.
The North-west is represented in the committee by a former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido and a former Minister for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Mr. Taminu Turaki (SAN).
The former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Aliyu Babangida and Senator Istanfanus Gyang are the representatives of the North-central just as the North-east is represented by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and Hon. Hassan Muhammadu.
However, there were no nominations from the South-west yet and no time limit was set for the committee to submit its report to NEC.
During the NEC meeting, which held in Abuja, PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, said Nigeria was at the crossroads due to insecurity, occasioned by the inept leadership of the administration controlled by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Also, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Aminu Tambuwal and the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jubrin, cautioned members of the party against imposing candidates in the state congresses scheduled in 26 states, so as to avoid APC’s mistake in Zamfara State.
They called for a transparent state congresses in all the affected 26 states so as to endear the party to the people.
Addressing the 89th NEC meeting of the party, Secondus said: “I can report to you that between the last NEC and now, our dear country is still at the crossroads due to the now obvious inept leadership of the ruling APC. The security situation in the country has refused to abate and nothing concrete is being done by the government to ameliorate it and stop the senseless killing of innocent Nigerians.”
He stated that even when the National Assembly after reviewing the situation, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to overhaul the security system for greater efficiency, the government has continued to demonstrate insensitivity to the plight of the populace.
Secondus added that Nigerians have never been as afraid for their lives as they are at moment.
He said in the North-east, the Boko Haram insurgency has returned fully, while the president only felt shocked that the sect still exists.
“We are already used to our president not knowing what is going on in the country even though as president, the bulk stops on his table. The president may have been deceived by the intelligence reports from his field men who continue to indulge in propaganda of claiming that the sect has been defeated even when the situation is worsening with banditry and kidnapping spreading all over the states.
“But what do we expect when the president’s chief security adviser is at loggerhead with the president’s number one aide? Your guess will be as good as mine on why this administration cannot move this nation forward.”.
On Imo State governorship case, he said the party would seek a review of the Supreme Court judgment that sacked its governorship candidate, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.
On the congresses expected in 26 states of the federation, the national chairman of PDP assured members that the party leadership would ensure rancour-free congresses to make the PDP stronger and more united in states.
Also, Tambuwal said the PDP governors would continue to work together in unity and collaborate with the National Working Committee of the party and the leadership of the party.
Jubrin also cautioned against making the mistake the APC made in Zamfara State that cost it all elected offices due to crisis arising from the state congress. (Thisday)
