The Peoples Democratic Party in Niger State has been hit with an internal crisis over the zoning formula of the gubernatorial slot for the 2019 general elections.
The drama rocking the party took another twist as a youth group under the auspices of Concerned Youths Forum and some key elders of the party on Sunday rejected the zoning of the governorship to the Niger North Senatorial District (Zone C) for the 2019 elections by the State Chairman, Tanko Beji.
The aggrieved members argued that the decision by the party chairman was to further thwart the chances of the PDP in re-clinching power in 2019 and that his opinion does not reflect those of the party’s stakeholders in the state.
Only last week the Niger State chapter of the PDP resolved in an expanded caucus meeting that the zoning of the governorship seat remains in Niger North Senatorial District (Zone C) for the 2019 election.
They said the declaration by Beji at the last meeting was to put to rest the issue of PDP zoning of its gubernatorial candidate in the state, adding: “The aspiration of other candidates from the other zones will scuttle the zoning arrangement put in place for justice and fairness to each of the three zones in the state.”
At a news briefing, the leader of the group, Dr. Mohammed Bello, while condemning an earlier statement credited to Beji, added: “Zoning was his (Beji) personal opinion and contrary to the party’s opinion at the national level.
“The statement is undemocratic, unconstitutional and not acceptable by the youths in the three geopolitical zones of the state and should be rejected by party members in the state.”
Furthermore, Bello alleged that the Chairman was using his antics for his preferable candidate, a former Deputy Governor and now Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Hon. Ahmed Musa Ibeto.
He said: “This is a ploy and antics by Beji to further convince Ahmed Musa Ibeto who dumped the party to join APC (All Progressives Congress) in 2015 to come and contest for the governorship come 2019.
“We call for a reversal of the statement because it is a pre-planned arrangement done deliberately to allow an unpopular candidate to emerge, thereby paving an easy way for the ruling APC to retain power in 2019.”
Investigations revealed that the said meeting where the resolution of the party was reached had a divided opinion on the decision to zone the party’s ticket to Niger North Senatorial District as some key stakeholders rejected the idea, hence the statement from Beji.
At the last meeting attended by party faithfuls, Beji declared that any other candidate from Niger South Senatorial District or Niger East Senatorial District (Zone A or B respectively) will not be supported by the party.
The state expanded caucus meeting comprised of former Deputy Governor Senator Nuhu Zagbayi; former Minister, Engr. Sani Ndanusa; former Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tanko, who is also a member of the party’s Board of Trustees; former Military Governor of Kano State, Colonel Aminu Isah Kotangora (retd); Hon. Baba Shehu Agaie; former Deputy Majority Leader in the House or Representatives, Hon. Mukthar Suleja; former Deputy Chief Whip, House of Representatives, Hon. A. Riko; and former party Chairmen in the State, Alhaji Abdulrahman Enagi, Alhaji Faruk Borgu and Hon. Musa Maali.
Others are former Secretary to the Niger State Government, Ndako Kpaki; former Niger State House of Assembly Speakers, Hon. K. Danrangi, Hon. T. Gamuno, Hon. Haruna Labaran Kagara and Hon. Abdulrahman Borgu; serving members of the State Assembly, who are members of the PDP, and major stakeholders of the party in the state.
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