Court Asked to Stop PDP from Forcing Mu’azu, NWC Members to Resign

Worried that notwithstanding his said ill health necessitating medical treatment abroad, that the rug could still be pulled off his feet while away, two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have approached an Abuja High Court to stop the PDP from forcing the Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mua'zu and other executive committee members from resigning their position until after the expiration of their tenure.

Two members of the party, Tasiu Iliyasu Hussaini and Waziri Amadu in suit CV/1831/15, dated May 14, 2015 are asking the court to determine whether the National Working Committee of the party can be dissolved or forced to resign their positions without following required procedure laid down by the party's constitution.

The plaintiffs, through their counsel, Iliya Dauda and Nafiu Yakubu, asked the court to declare that the NWC of the party cannot be dissolved or forced to resign their positions without following procedure laid down by the party's constitution.

The plaintiffs further asked the court to make an order restraining the party from directing Mu’azu and other NWC members from resigning their positions without following the prescribed procedure in the party's constitution.

Apart from PDP and Mu’azu, other defendants are Chief Uche Secondus, Deputy National Chairman, Prof. Wale Oladipo, Nationa Secretary, Chief Onwe Solomo Onwe, Deputy National Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, Publicity Secretary, Chief Kema Chikwe, Women Leader, Elder Bolaji Anani, Financial Secretary, Victor Kwom, Legal Adviser, Abubakar Mustapha, Organizing Secretary, Hussaini Maibasira, Youth leader, BalaBuhari, Treasurer and Adewale Adeyanju, Auditor.

In an affidavit in support of the originating summons deposed to by the plaintiff, they said that the leaders of the party were calling for the dissolution of the national exco of the party because of the defeat suffered in the last election adding that the calls for their resignation was against the spirit of the constitution of the party and the collective resolve of party members.

He said the call for the resignation of the exco members of the party would jeopardize the efforts of party members to reposition the party for success in future elections.

But the suit not withstanding, the duo of Governors Babangida Aliyu and Sule Lamido of Niger and Jigawa States respectively, have asked Mu’azu to stop the blame game and take responsibility for the party’s poor performance in the last general election.

They equally insisted that contrary speculations that they were not leaving the party to form any party, they were not going anywhere.

The two governors recently joined the call for Mu’azu to resign following the defeat of the party in the recent elections.

The governors added that they had the opportunity to leave the party along side their G7 colleagues but did not.

According to them, Mu’azu should accept the blame for the party’s poor performance in the election same way he would have accepted the credit for the victory if the party had won.

Speaking yesterday in Shiroro local government in Niger State, Aliyu said it was wrong for Mu’azu to use PDP money and resources to do propaganda and tell lies.

Making reference to the just concluded election in England, Aliyu said: “In England recently, after the elections, the leaders of the party that lost decided to give way for other people to invigorate the party.

“How can you lead the party to a disastrous defeat and you still have the guts to blame people that you were not given the chance and that the money of the campaign was not with you. Why did you not tell us before the election? Why did you have to wait until you were defeated?

“You assumed that if we had won, you would have taken the credit for the winning, so take the blame for the defeat also, that is all we are saying.

“For us to entrench democracy, immediately the defeat happened, tender your resignation letter and let the people reject your resignation. It would have been better but for you to be fighting, using PDP money to do propaganda and telling lies, that is not nice at all.”

He expressed optimism that the leadership of the party will change for the better when the party change its leadership in next year’s convention.

“If it is the party’s belief that the leadership be retained, believe me we will not fight it. Because the actual change will come in March 2016. That is when we will go to the convention and all PDP members will be there and we will elect new leaders.”

Also speaking, Lamido said this was not the time for the blame game but time to reflect on how to reposition the party.

“It is not time for blame game. It is time to think and reflect on how to reposition PDP. The party is a party of national interest and unity. We should all accept that we made mistakes and find ways to correct it in the future.”

Meanwhile, former National Organising Secretary of the PDP, Alhaji Umaru Dahiru, has warned that forcing the national leadership of the party to resign would not augur well for the reconstruction of the party.

Dahiru, who is the Baraden Bauchi, spoke to journalists in Bauchi yesterday in an interview, saying any attempt to force Mu’azu, and his executive to resign would reduce the PDP to a regional party.