Headline
PDP Moves To Rebuild, Seeks Consensus For New Chairman
As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) awaits the Supreme Court verdict on the 2023 presidential election, the tussle for leadership of the has begun amid realignment of power brokers within.
Checks revealed that the while the pro-Atiku Abubakar group are pushing to seize control of the party, the group loyal to the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike is also scheming to take the reins of the party.
It was learnt that the dilemma before the party is the search for a national chairman who can balance the interests within and enhance the fortunes of the party.
This comes as the prospect of a mini convention after the Supreme Court verdict is being discussed in some quarters.
The convention which is being projected to re-access the party’s fortunes after the 2023 polls might see the change of leadership.
It was further learnt that the recent visit of former president of the senate, Abubakar Saraki, to Wike was linked to the search for a consensus.
Wike and Saraki lost last year’s PDP presidential primary to Atiku.
However, Wike and four other governors worked for President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) instead of Atiku during the election after their demand that a national chairman from the South should replace Dr Iyorchia Ayu.
Wike was however later to be rewarded with the FCT ministerial appointment.
Saraki was appointed into the PDP/Atiku’s campaign team.
A party source said despite calls for Wike’s sanction for working with the ruling party, the former governor’s group has insisted that they will not leave the party.
The source said the group had resolved to retain their influence in the party.
“One of the ways to do so is to be part of the power groups that will determine the future of the party by influencing who leads the party from next year,” the source said.
He added that the Wike and Saraki meeting was against the backdrop of the need by the camps to forge an understanding ahead of the tussle for party leadership.
“Failure to do this will lead to the emergence of a hostile chairman who may move against them. They know Saraki as a reconciliatory man, a bridge builder, somebody they can trust to be neutral and have the capacity and resources to rebuild the party.
“The meeting is the first step the Wike group is making. More governors and senators in the group will openly canvass support for Saraki and even visit. Many have silently visited him,” the source added.
When asked, another source close to the former senate president who pleaded not to be named, said he had not made up his mind on the chairmanship yet.
“His position is that we should wait till after the Supreme Court verdict on the Atiku case. Either way the case goes, the next assignment for the PDP is resolving leadership issues and reconciliation,” he said.
The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned against obstructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from carrying out its lawful duty .
Fagbemi’s warning is contained in a statement in Abuja.
“This is a matter of very grave concern, it is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigations into any matter, regardless of status.
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.
He added that running away from the law will not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbate them.
“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.
“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism.
“This can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world’’.
He said institutions of state should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.
“I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC, and indeed any other agency to order when there is an indication of any transgressions of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies’’.
NAN reports that the EFCC had on Wednesday warned members of the public that it was a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.
The warning , the EFCC said, became necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.
On several occasions, the anti graft agency said, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped Joshua Rogers, the ChannelsTV reporter in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Politics Nigeria learnt that Rogers was picked up close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port Harcourt and to an unknown destination by the gunmen around 9pm on Thursday, April 11.
The reporter was driving his official ChannelsTV branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle.
Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.
Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for bis release.
His cameraman confirmed the incident and appealed to his abductors to set him free unconditionally.
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