The reconciliation process initiated by a committee of elders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party can safely be said to be either on life support or dead.
Following Monday’s decision by the Bamanga Tukur-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to call the bluff of the Abubakar Baraje-led faction by suspending four of its key national officers, it is now safe to say that the peace process initiated by a committee of elders of the party is either on life support or dead.
In what would come as a huge surprise to political observers, Tukur announced the suspension of the Chairman of the New PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, its Secretary Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, its deputy National Chairman, Sam Sam Jaja and Ambassador Kazaure who are considered pivotal to the operations of the group.
Most political analysts failed to see the suspension of Baraje, Oyinlola and others coming largely because an Abuja Court of Appeal on Thursday last week reinstated Oyinlola as the party’s National Secretary.
The court ruled that Oyinlola who was removed from office by a judgment of Justice Abdul Kafarati was duly elected as the national scribe of the party. He further noted that the former Osun state governor was not given fair hearing in the suit instituted by the Ogun state chapter of the party which formed the basis of his sack by the high court.
But the Bamanga faction will have none of it as it placed the New PDP henchmen on suspension invariably to forestall the resumption of Oyinlola.
Although the Tukur-led PDP had secured a court judgment declaring the Baraje-led faction of the party an illegal entity, but the aggrieved members of the PDP continued to function as a faction of the PDP.
The judgment of the court of Appeal was to be a reprieve for the members of the New PDP until the shocking announcement of its officers by Bamanga Tukur.
Six out of the seven aggrieved PDP governors and the leadership of the outlawed nPDP met in Abuja, on Sunday night to deliberate on the Oyinlola’s victory which was considered a collective victory and chart a new course for their struggle.
One of the decisions reached after more than five hours of deliberations was a call for the immediate implementation of the court judgment reinstating Oyinlola.
Little did they know that an earlier claim by Chief Olisa Metuh that the party was yet to receive a copy of the said court judgment or any court order for Oyinlola’s reinstatement was a prelude to the suspension of some of their key members.
Speaking on the suspension of the key members of the New PDP, its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze said, “You see, the problem we are having with Tukur and his National Working Committee is that they lack common understanding of the PDP constitution.
“This is an abuse of the judiciary and the Nigeria constitution on fair hearing and most importantly, the PDP constitution of 2009 as amended Article 21 section 9 which states: ‘Notwithstanding any other provision of this constitution relating to discipline, no executive committee at any level except NEC shall entertain any question of discipline as may relate or concern…”
The latest move by the Bamanga Tukur PDP is confirms report which predicted that President Jonathan was no longer favourably disposed to further discussions with the aggrieved governors and members of the faction.
Six aggrieved governors on the party platform namely: Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) have continued to lead the revolt against Tukur’s leadership style.
It is now clear that the Tukur-led executive of the PDP, which still enjoys the support of the President, has opted to go for broke. It is left for aggrieved members of the party to prepare an appropriate response.
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