Princess Simon (Bureau Chief North-Central)
Former Governor of Niger state and factional leader of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, has appealed to his supporters and disenfranchised members of the party in the last week’s factional Congress to remain calm as the issue is receiving the attention of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja.
Babangida Aliyu also encouraged aggrieved members of the party not to be intimidated to the point of contemplating dumping the PDP in the wake of the leadership wranglings that have threatened the very foundation of the main opposition party in Niger state for the past 17 months.
The former Governor made the appeal when he received PDP members, loyalists, and admirers who were in Paiko, near Minna the state capital, to welcome him after almost a month he was last seen in Niger state.
Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu who holds the traditional title of ‘Taliban Minna’ was last seen in the state about four weeks ago, during the last Eid-el-Kabir celebrations when he hosted a cultural fiesta and conferred traditional titles on some of his Aides at his Minna residence.
Addressing jubilant supporters in his house, the former Governor Aliyu in a statement signed by his Media aide, Bala Bitrus, however, enjoined members to remain calm and resist being forced out of the party by those he described as ‘biased minded persons’ trying to create more problems for PDP in the state.
Describing as a ‘sham’ the state party congress by a faction of the party penultimate week in liaison with ‘a bought over North-Central leadership of the party’, Babangida Aliyu assured that the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) is ‘looking into it’.
The state PDP leader who debunked insinuations that he is already lobbying to join the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), however, assured the crowd that the party at the national level was taken aback by the ‘illegality and brazen abuse of rule of law by some desperate politicians.
He called for calm amongst all agitated and restive party supporters over what allegedly happened in the party by a select group within the party, insisting that ‘what was done in Niger PDP at the state secretariat about a week ago was not only absurd but totally wrong’.
“Those who thought that they could seize the reigns of PDP executive in Niger state by whipping ethnic sentiments and displaying other forms of bigotry, would, in no distant time, be placed in their deserved positions”, Babangida Aliyu assured.
While appealing to the genuine PDP members in Niger state to remain calm and await the unfolding events, former Governor Aliyu assured that all necessary steps were being worked out to give the party in the state a sense of order, sanity, and diligence.
Aliyu who described his rumored dumping of the PDP as laughable, however, admonished members against leaving the party, pointing out that, “Those who organized and took part in the sham are enemies of our great party in Niger state. Please, don't leave or abandon the PDP”.
What took place last week according to the former Governor was the handiwork of ‘self-seeking persons that populated the faction and organized the congress without giving notice to all stakeholders for the congress’.
Babangida Aliyu further alleged that the group that organized the August 7th event excluded others from choosing leaders of their choice to pilot the affairs of the party in Niger state and wondered if democracy could be so manipulated and muzzled by those who claim to have meant well for the party.
Recall that, on Saturday 7th of August through Sunday 8th of August, factional Congress was held at the state PDP secretariat in Minna. Barrister Tanko Beji was declared the winner with 2, 092 votes against, Engineer Ahmed Muktar who got only 2 votes while 8 votes were voided.
Engineer Benson Abounu, the Deputy Governor of Benue state as the Chairman of the state PDP Congress Committee presided over the exercise attended by, Senator Zaynab Kure and two former Ministers in the state, Professor Jerry Gana and Alhaji Tanko Achituwo.
The PDP National Financial Secretary, Abdullahi Maibasira, the governorship candidate of the party in the 2019 election, Muhammad Umar Nasko, former Speaker Niger of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Musa Ma’ali and the former Secretary to State Government (SSG), Ndako Kpaki, were also in attendance. NNL.
