The faction accuses the Tukur-led PDP of lying to the nation.
The “New” Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led by Kawu Baraje, said on Wednesday that it had not struck any deal with President Goodluck Jonathan on its agitation, contrary to claims by the Bamanga Tukur-led faction of the party and the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio.
It, therefore, advised Nigerians to ignore what it described as “tissues and propaganda” being churned out by them.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the “New” PDP, Chukwuemeka Eze, said it was not true that the splinter group agreed at last Sunday’s meeting that Mr. Jonathan should run for the presidency in 2015.
Mr. Eze said, “The Alhaji Abubakar Baraje-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wishes to advise Nigerians to ignore the tissue of lies and propaganda from the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur faction of the party on the outcome of our meeting with President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at the Presidential Villa last Sunday, 15th September, 2013,” the statement said.
“We have read various misleading accounts of what transpired at that meeting between our progressive Governors – Gov Kwankwaso of Kano, Gov Wamakko of Sokoto, Gov Amaechi of Rivers, Gov Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Gov, Nyako of Adamawa, Gov Ahmed of Kwara and Gov Lamido of Jigawa with President Jonathan on how to resolve the self-inflicted crisis in our party.
“We wish to specifically urge Nigerians and our supporters to ignore the concocted tales of Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom and Chairman of PDP Governors Forum. Akpabio lied by claiming that we have accepted that President Jonathan should contest the 2015 presidential election and that most of our demands are being met.
“The fact of the case is that no agreement has been reached on any of the issues we tabled before the President and until we see results, Nigerians should ignore the present efforts by the Tukur camp to deceive them.”
The faction said the party had a mechanism and system for picking its presidential candidate, adding that until it was set to do so, any speculation on the matter was a mere academic exercise.
He said, “On whether President Jonathan should contest the 2015 presidential election or not, we wish to say that we have a mechanism and system of electing our flag-bearers for any election and until the time to choose the party’s presidential flag-bearer comes, any speculation on this is just a mere academic exercise.”
The Baraje-led faction said the Tukur-led faction was not serious about peace moves, going by the actions the latter took a few hours after the Sunday talks.
It particularly lamented that Mr Tukur went ahead to inaugurate a caretaker committee for the party’s Kano State chapter without recourse to the governor of the state, who was also its leader.
The statement said, “Meanwhile, we have been vindicated in our claim that Alhaji Tukur and his faction are not serious about their purported search for the return of peace in our party.
“Just few hours after Sunday’s meeting between the progressive Governors and the President, Tukur’s faction once more showed its disdain for peace by unilaterally setting up a Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of our Kano chapter.
“This was done without recourse to either the Leader of the party in Kano State, Gov. Rabiu Kwankwaso, or other stakeholders of the party from Kano.
“This illegality is a clear violation of our party’s constitution and was hurriedly done just to spite Gov. Kwankwaso, the Party Leader in the state.
The splinter group added, “We hereby urge our people in Kano State to ignore this illegality as we have set in motion the machinery to organise a proper election as stipulated by our party’s constitution.
“We are still at a loss why Tukur and his cohorts do not want peace to reign in PDP but no matter the odds we are very determined to ensure that peace is restored to our party with the prayers of Nigerians.
“Along this line, we once more appreciate the efforts of our Party Elders to resolve the current crisis bedeviling our party and wish them success irrespective of the evil designs of Tukur’s faction to elongate the crisis for selfish reasons.”
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