News Express, Oct. 28

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction led by Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje will leave the party if their conditions are not met, a chieftain of the faction has stated.

Speaking yesterday on the Hausa service of Vision FM, Kano State Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso accused the ruling party of “toying with its warfront commanders.”

His words: “All that we demanded from the party and government, which we see as the way forward for the party, none was fulfilled. Therefore it is surprising to see a party that is toying with its warfront commanders.

“We already have four ways out of this crisis if they can’t meet up our concerns. One is the dialogue, which is still going on, or joining a small party, and then some people offered floating a new party, yet some are of the view of joining APC. We don’t want to leave the party. But if leaving PDP is what will only save our states and people, we will leave it. As such, we call on people to support us on that, because our concern is to ward off anything that will harm our people.”

On their demands, Kwankwaso said, “We want them to address the Rivers crisis where the PDP leadership was sacked. Amaechi himself, he won (NGF) election with 18 votes, I was there. But someone with 16 claimed to win the election.

“Then in Adamawa, we said the problem there should be addressed and other things that we said need to be resolved.”

Meanwhile, the faction, known as New PDP, yesterday fooled intent on aborting its advertised caucus meeting. The faction had announced that the meeting would hold at Sokoto State Governor’s Lodge, which was scheduled for 8 pm, making security agents to block the venue in the hope of stopping the meeting.

New PDP national Publicity Secretary, Chef Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, however told News Express this morning: “We had a successful meeting. We used Sokoto State Governor’s Lodge as a decoy while we met at Kano State Governor’s Lodge.

New PDP chieftains that attended the meeting included Governors Kwankwaso; Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); former governors Adamu Aliero (Kebbi State); Bukola Saraki (Kwara State); Danjuma Goje (Gombe State); and Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa State).

Others included the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje; Deputy Chairman Sam Sam Jaja; National Secretary Olagunsoye Oyinlola; and Vice-Chairman, North-west, Ibrahim Kazuare, among others.

•Photo shows New PDP chieftain, Governor Kwankwaso.

Update news