PDP govs back suit against Tukur, others

Some governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party have reportedly thrown their weight behind three members seeking to compel the party to conduct a fresh national convention to elect its officers.
Our correspondents learnt in Abuja on Thursday that the governors had started mobilising to ensure the success of the suit, as a means of pushing the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur-led executive out of office.
Three members – Abba Yale, Alhaji Yahaya Aruwa Sule and Bashir Maidugu – are asking an Abuja High Court to compel the party to conduct a fresh convention to elect its national officials.
The suit was filed on March 27, 2013, a day before the Independent National Electoral Commission made public a report in which it voided the election of 12 members of the PDP National Working Committee.

In the report, INEC faulted the process adopted by the PDP in electing the 12 officials, arguing that it violated paragraph 6.5 of the guidelines used for conducting the 2012 congresses and national convention of the party.
The anti-Tukur governors are said to be behind the decision of the three plaintiffs to challenge the emergence of some officials of the National Working Committee.
Those behind the latest court action are among several others who were prevailed upon by their state governors to step down for one candidate or another based on an understanding with President Goodluck Jonathan.
A party source told one of our correspondents that the suit arose over misgivings that the understanding that produced party officials had been violated by the President and some PDP leaders.
It was gathered that as part of the strategy to further assert themselves, the anti-Tukur governors had joined their colleagues in other parties to restate their implicit confidence in the Rotimi Amaechi-led Nigerian Governors Forum.
Towards this end, moves have reached an advanced stage to ensure that Amaechi retains his job when the forum reconvenes for a fresh election in May.
They have also encouraged members to come out in the open to protest what some described as Jonathan’s interference in the affairs of the NGF.
This was said to have given Amaechi the confidence to speak out against the perceived undue interference in NGF’s affairs by the President.
Amaechi also had cause to voice out his frustrations at a recent meeting with the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih.
He repeated what he had said in an address a week earlier when he stated that his actions as chairman of the NGF were not personal.
When contacted, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisah Metuh, said the party was not aware of the suit filed against the election of 12 members of the NWC.
He explained that the PDP had not been served, adding that the party was not bothered about the issue of litigation around the affected members of the NWC.
Metuh said, “We are not bothered, it is inconsequential. If they have really filed a case in court, we are not aware.
“We are united, working hard with the national chairman so that we bring the dividends of democracy to the people of this country.
“We are working with the elected officers in government in a concerted effort to give the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.”

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