DUTSE, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Despite reported directive given by President Goodluck Jonathan that the camps of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and those calling for their resignation should sheathe their swords, indications emerged at the weekend that the plot to sack the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu and his committee is thickening.
Those opposed to the continued stay in office of the PDP National Working Committee, following the dismal performance of the party in the last general election, have refused to back down having been emboldened by the resignation of the leaders of the British Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and others in the United Kingdom, shortly after failing in the country’s election held over the weekend.
It was gathered that despite the effort by the President to calm frayed nerves and restore peace in the party, those opposed to Mu’azu have vowed to soldier on, noting that their demand was a moral issue, citing the example of Ed Miliband, the leader of the main opposition party in UK’s election, Labour Party, who anchored his resignation on the need for the party to be rebuilt and even apologised to party members.
In what appeared to confirm the high-level resolution of some PDP governors and party leaders to see to Mu’azu’s exit, the Niger state Governor, Babangida Aliyu, joined his Ekiti state counterpart, urging the NWC to emulate the British political leaders who resigned after leading their party to defeat in Thursday’s election.
Aliyu, who gave the advice in Dutse, at the inauguration of a township road named after the then “G7 governors’’ by Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa, said: Any leader that leads his political party to defeat as it was in the case of PDP, is supposed to resign.
“It is unfortunate that people had to be called to resign. The leaders are supposed to voluntarily resign their positions for the loss at the just concluded general election. It is unfair that they are threatening to form a factional PDP because they were asked to resign,” Aliyu said.
The governor noted that morality and principle were key attributes the PDP must imbibe to succeed for future elections, noting that what happened in the United Kingdom election on Thursday was a reflection of morality and principle, which must be brought to the Nigerian polity.
The Niger State governor also expressed delight on the naming of streets after the “G7 Governors,’’ commending Lamido for his vision in terms of history.
Credit: Tribune (Nigeria)
