The INEC declaration is contained in its reply to the New PDP, which had requested that the electoral body recognised the Abubakar Baraje-led faction.
But INEC said it only recognised the Tukur-led PDP.
In its reply to the Baraje faction, the commission stated, “You will recall that the commission monitored the national convention and special national convention of the PDP held on March 24, 2012 and August 31, 2013 respectively, at the Eagle Square, Abuja, after notices to the commission.
“An NWC was elected at the two conventions with Tukur as the national chairman. The commission will not withdraw recognition from the leadership of the PDP elected at elections duly monitored by the commission. Please be guided.”
Investigations revealed that the development had paved the way for renewed hostilities between the factions.
Reacting to the INEC declaration and the Lagos High Court ruling, which threw out the splinter party suit, the Tukur-led PDP has likened the failure of the Baraje-led New PDP to get INEC’s recognition and the court’s judgment to “a failed coup d’état”.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Abubakar Jalo, conveyed his faction’s position during an exclusive interview with Punch Newspaper, in Abuja, on Friday.
He stated that what the Baraje-led faction sought to do through “the back door” was in bad taste.
He accused them of claiming to be seeking peace by sitting down with the Bamanga Tukur-led authentic PDP in the day time, but going to the INEC and the court by night to undermine the process.
Jalo said, “If you go to the opposition and form a faction you can succeed, it is normal because the opposition has no government.
“But where there is a sitting President, for someone from the same political party to say he is going to form a faction, if that faction is recognised by INEC, it means that it is a coup d’état against the President; because the President came from that party.
“It is a known fact that factionalisation can only succeed in a party, which is outside power but where a party (which has a sitting President in its fold) is in power and you recognise any other faction of the party; it means the President is no longer in control.”
He stated that as far as his party was concerned, President Goodluck Jonathan was still the President and Dr. Bamanga Tukur remained the duly elected national chairman.
But the National Publicity Secretary of the New PDP, Mr. Chukwuemeka Eze, said it would be a misconception for people to think that the court process had ended.
He said,”We are going to file the matter in Abuja. The ruling did not discredit our case; it did not say our case did not have merit. As advised by His Lordship, we shall re-file the suit in Abuja, because we are convinced about the merit of our case,” he said.
On the calls by the Tukur-led PDP for members of the Baraje-led faction to return to the fold, Eze said it was Tukur and those following his leadership that needed to return.
He said, “An illegally constituted National Working Committee cannot dictate to genuine members of the party to return or not to return to the party.
“We are not outside the party, they are the ones outside the party, and they should be looking for how to return to the fold.
“On the INEC issue, we are making an official statement on it on Sunday.”
Another member of the New PDP, Senator Danladi Sankara, told our correspondent that the issues at stake were very simple.
He said, “We have made our stand on most of these issues public, we have not met to change our position and I doubt it if we will back down because we are seeking to improve the fortunes of our party.”
Meanwhile, the chain of setbacks suffered by New PDP lengthened on Saturday as the Federal Capital Territory Administration sealed off the Adamawa State Governor’s Lodge in the Maitama District of the Federal Capital City for abuse of the Abuja master plan.
The lodge was sealed off after its conversion to a secretariat for the new PDP. The secretariat earlier used by the splinter group was shut down by the police last month.
Justifying the development, the Chief Press Secretary to the FCT Minister, Sule Mohammed, noted that the building was for residential purposes and not for political party secretariat. He argued that the Adamawa State Government contravened the Abuja master plan by turning the lodge to a party secretariat.
“All the governor’s lodges in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja are enshrined in the Abuja master plan to be for residential purposes but not for political party secretariat as Adamawa State Governor’s Lodge is currently being used.
“The Governor’s Lodge, as it is today, is being used as a political party office, thereby negating the spirit of urban planning and causing nuisance and disturbance on the residents dwelling in that area of the city as well as inflicting undue pressure on the infrastructure and services therein, contrary to the principles of the Abuja master plan,” the statement stated.
The FCT Administration said it would not rest on its oars until the FCT was rid of all illegal structures and illegal change of Land Use.
The administration observed that any change of Land Use is usually accompanied by over-stretching of facilities planned for certain number of people, apart from causing high volume of traffic with its attendant problems.
It also said that all actions by a person or group of persons that inflicted pains on the residents whether directly or indirectly would not be condoned.
But in its reaction, the New PDP said the sealing off of the Adamawa State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja was a sign that democracy was dead in the country.
It argued that if the lodge of a serving state governor could be sealed off without any court order, then there was nothing those in government would not do to satisfy those that put them in office.
The National Publicity Secretary of the faction, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, who stated this in a telephone interview with one of correspondents, appealed to President Gooodluck Jonathan to caution the Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed.
Eze said, “We can all see that democracy is dead in the country. Why would anyone think of sealing off the residence of a serving governor because of politics?
“The country is in trouble and we must all rise and condemn the action. The Lodge of a serving governor is like an embassy.
“We are not sure that the President is aware of this, and we must ask him to act fast before those who have no character give his government a bad name.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Una never see anytin yeye pple. Dis is just the begining.
ReplyDeleteThis Eze guy is a joke. Is it part of democracy to challenge a sitting president from him own party? "Anyone who does what no one has never done will see what no one has never seen."
ReplyDeleteThere nothing wrong in challenging the old PDP, as long as they keep on running the party as a personal property by misrepresenting the party and the nation.The new PDP shouldn't relent in the struggle to stabilize democracy in the country. Lucky them for having resilient / dogged and real politicians in their meets. Let them
ReplyDeletefight on because winners don't Quit.
I think it's crazy for the new PDP to think they could win this. The country is truly in trouble if they continue with their disregard of authority. They will end in ridicule because it is the Absalom spirit that is operating in them. They will also be destroyed as Absalom was. They should watch their dance steps and find out the motive of the one beating the drums for them.
ReplyDeleteSorry 4 u people. The new pdp is only out to sanitise the governance of this counntry and u call them yeye? You are the yeye mumu sychophants!
ReplyDeleteNigeria IS A BIG JOKE. How can you say you seal up a government building because it is being used as a political party headquarters? The first question is this: what is the name of the said party? ; 2. Did the court not rule on the existence or otherwise of the said party? ; 3. If the court has already said no such party exist, what are you basing the seal up on? These people are really power drunk. It is a principle of law that you cannot build something on nothing. Open the damn building or Adamawa govt should take you to court and win damages against you people. Freedom of association is still a constitutional right the last time I checked
ReplyDeleteI pray that ds failed system of gov.wl disappear nd wl never come back cus it has caused of harvoc rather than good.other nations r seriously developiong new technologies nd other great things but nja still fighting on party candidates.shame on u all the corrupt naija leaders ,all of u shall perish very soon.God shall scatter ur lives the way u pple r suffering pple in ds country.
ReplyDeleteKhalid If you are wise you will stop being a Triubalist,,,, your judgment is always bad,,, GEJ is our president deal with it.... Nigerians are now exposed,,,, If the North Likes Let them Kill all their Children through their invented Boko Haram,,, What GOD says Will be will Be.... 2015 GEJ will continue to Lead this Country.... STOP FOOLING YOUR SELF.
ReplyDeletePeople should be logical in doing things . This new PDP approach things in wrong ways . In the first place the Governor`s Lodge is the property of Adamawa State and not the Governor and moreover not all the indigenes of Adamawa are in PDP for the house to be converted to a political secretariat . FCT approved the building for a purpose which is Governor`s Lodge and you are turning it to political secretariat and you expect the Ministry to keep quiet when many of the Governors among you are demolishing peoples` buildings in your respective states for the related offence . We wonder if you used Law court order to turn the structure into a political secretariat .
ReplyDeleteOur politicians lack direction. The ongoing crisis in the PDP is a clear pointer to this.
ReplyDeleteOur politicians lack direction; the ongoing events in the PDP lend voice to that.
ReplyDeleteWhat does greedy Eze and his group have that is better? Please, you guys should learn to respect constituted authority. Eze and his group are the real problems to our democracy. Nigeria is for all nationalities not for a cabal. The Adamawa Governor should provide employment and infrastructures for his people. And assist the Federal government fight the insecurity he created.
ReplyDeleteJus passing by
ReplyDeleteThis Eze of a guy is really a big time fool. Someone should simply lock him up once and for all for whatever nuisance value. His foul mouth runs more than FFK these days. Enough from these selfish irritants!
ReplyDeleteFrom most comments here, two things are obvious : it's either you are being unaware of the goings-on in this country or you're just being bias in your judgement due to any unreasonable reason best known to you. With the ASUU stike running into the fourth month, massive infrastructural decay in terms of roads, electricity and water, poor medical services coupled with incessant strike by medical doctors, insecurity of the highest order, use of federal agents to harass and intimidate, open disrespect for the rule of law, encouragement of corruption at all levels, and lots more, even a blind man will know that the country is in a complete mess and a state of emergency shoud be decleared. It's like you guys can't see that pdp has brought no gains to this country in their years of stay so far. The current crises rocking the party is to level it to pave way for a change in power. I'm not a politician nor am I in support of any political party but come 2015, POWER MUST CHANGE HANDS!
ReplyDeleteGEJ is the cause of all the problems we are having in this country at the moment, i will just beg the northerners to let him rule in 2015, but i bet you after 2019, no south south will come near the presidency again. you can ask the igbo people after civil war,
ReplyDeleteBayohamed says....
ReplyDeletePower can never change into the hands of evil men, who are using boko haram to intimidate Nigerians to give them power. GEJ is 100% far better than all o them joined together. They're sons of absalom and should be treated as such. All of you supporting, evil and this absalomic behaviour your subordinates will also rebel against you to degree even worse than that of GEJ
All the G7 Governors and their allies are Rascals. Charity begins at home , Let them fix their own home before fixing the nation.
ReplyDelete