THE national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), appears poised to discipline Senator Buruji Kashamu representing Ogun East which it said had caused the party so much pain.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, alleged at a press conference at the national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday that the Senator had continued to work against the interest of the party.
According to him, Kashamu bankrolled parallel congresses in the party an action which he said led to the party’s loss of Edo and Ondo State governorship election.
He said: “Here, we need to remind PDP members and Nigerians that it was Sen Kashamu and those he was bankrolling that conducted parallel congresses in Edo and Ondo State.
“They did not stop there but took us up to Supreme Court and in the end openly endorsed and campaigned for our opponents. Their actions made us lose the election.”
He recalled that when the NCC lost its case at the Appeal Court against the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s leadership to which Kashamu was loyal, the NCC cooperated with Sheriff for the Osun West Senatorial electron which Ademola Adeleke won.
He said: “The public should, however, recall we neither conducted parallel congress in the Osun Senatorial bye-election nor did we campaign for our opponents.
“We rather directed everybody to work for the Party nominee and he won. You can clearly see who has been undermining the Party’s chances at elections.”
The party spokesman pointed out that even when Kashamu was queried by the party over his activities and his matter referred to the PDP Disciplinary Committee, the senator obtained a court order to stop the committee from proceeding with its work.
He warned however that Kashamu was not bigger than the PDP and would not be allowed to continue to sabotage the party indefinitely.
Also speaking on the allegations of bias made by some national chairmanship aspirants in the party, Adeyeye insisted that the party will stick to its zoning formula of North/South.
But he added that where regions are able to agree on micro-zoning, the national leadership will not object.
But where there is no agreement, the issue will be resolved at the national convention through an election.
He said Chief Bode George who accused the NCC of bias was the same person other members of the PDP had accused of being favored in the Lagos State chapter of the party.
He stated: “We at Wadata (PDP national secretariat) only officially recognise what the Convention and NEC have done. That is zoning of positions between the North and the South.
“We, however, recognise that both North and South may politically microzone positions to geopolitical zones and the geopolitical zones to states.
“The North micro-zoned and other zones are micro-zoning without recourse to PDP Headquarters.
“We also understand that the South of recent is doing so but up to now have not been able to reach agreement on Chairmanship and Deputy Chairman. If this is not sorted out before the Convention it means the matter can only be settled at the Convention.
“As Democrats and also to avoid imposition against the wish of the majority, we have opened the race to all aspirants who disagree with the micro-zoning. Therefore sale of forms has been and will continue to be open to all within the context of North/South that NEC took a decision on.”
On membership of committees supervising the congresses in respective states and the FCT which another aspirant had accused the NCC of skewing in favour of a particular aspirant, the party spokesman said the NCC never took nominations from any candidate but from the states and other organs of the party.
He added: “We wish to remind all that it’s the State Chapters that actually conduct congresses. The Committees only compile the results and attend to Appeals after which they file their reports to the Party Headquarters.
“When all reports are filed by the Committees, we shall summon the States Chairmen to come with their copies and reconfirm the results at a date to be fixed and all bonafide interest groups will be welcomed to witness it. This is to reassure everybody that validly elected delegates list is not tampered with.”
On the specific allegations against the NCC, he said: “Commenting specifically on the issues raised by Chief Bode George through his Director-General and ProfTunde Adeniran, we wish to state that Chief Bode George assertions were wild and not specific.
“However, Prof Adeniran’s letter specifically mentioned 5 names out of about 216 names. While assuring him that we shall pay special attention to the places they were posted to, but we did not and could not interview the members to know their linings before calling on them to serve. It’s most likely that some of the remaining 211 members are aligned to some other persons seeking elective offices including himself and Chief Bode George.
“It pains us that on the one hand Chief Bode George who is fully aware of the pains we are still going through in Lagos in order to fairly and equitably carry everybody on board to the extent that we are been accused by others as siding with him is the same person accusing us of impunity.
“On the preparations for the Convention, we have asked Chairmanship aspirants to make input so that they have their eyes and ears on each Committee. It was only Chief Bode George that did not attend the meeting we had with the aspirants.”
On Anambra State election, he explained that PDP was sabotaged by rebel members of the party.
He traced the problem to 2003 when the party became factionalism in the state.
According to him, most of the votes recorded by the eventual winner of the election came from members of the PDP.
He maintained: “We do agree that the Anambra issue is a self-inflicted injury which has been with the State since after the 2003 general elections
“Irrespective of the perfections or imperfections of our Party primaries and the outcome, PDP Anambrarians had developed conflicting mindsets. We did our best to bring all under one Caretaker Committee hoping that things will work out well.
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Action against Kashamu coming soon ―PDP
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