Old PDP to New PDP: Your demands are not serious

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party has tasked the Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje-led splinter group of the party to be serious with its demands to get the attention of the party’s leadership.
Olisa Metuh, the National Publicity Secretary of the old PDP, stated this while speaking with newsmen on Friday in Abuja.
Metuh noted that the Baraje-led PDP and the seven aggrieved governors were “neither serious nor responsible” in the portrayal of their demands to ensure reconciliation.
He therefore urged them to “stop dancing naked in public” and get serous with their demands.
He further said that the party’s leadership would not make a public show of what was supposed to be its internal challenge.
Metuh said: “Conflicts are resolved on the table not on the pages of newspapers.
“We are not engaged for people to clap for us on the way we are making our demands.
“If you are making demands for the public, for all measures dramatise and publicise it.
“But if you are making demands and you want to discuss it with your brothers, then be serious about it because if you are not serious about it, then you have another motive.
“We are focused.
“All that we have is on the table and it is not for dancing naked in public.”
He said that the party’s National Working Committee has absolute confidence in Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the factional PDP National Chairman.
According to him, Tukur has absolute commitment in leading the party.
Metuh said: “We are happy and proud of him.
“If our brothers want to achieve a different motive, they should make it obvious.
“But they should make it at the table of discussion, not an item for consumption at public relaxation joints.”
It would be recalled that the splinter group are, among other things, demanding that President Goodluck Jonathan should not re-contest in 2015.
They are also asking that the state party structures be returned to PDP governors and that the suspension slammed on the Rivers State Governor, Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, be lifted.
Metuh said the party had taken a critical look at the implications of the actions and utterances of the splinter group.
He stressed that though the party’s leadership was on the path of caution and decorum, “they are not afraid of the consequences of doing otherwise”.
He, however, assured Nigerians that the PDP under the chairmanship of Tukur, would emerge stronger and better regardless of its current challenges.
He added that the party members would become more committed and dedicated to its fortunes at the end of the day.
He said: “Our brothers have experienced and enjoyed success at the hands of PDP.
“We have been the instrument and platform that they have used in achieving success both in administration and government.
“They should understand and not forget that they have used the party and this party should use them.”
He however ruled out sanctions for the members of the splinter group at the moment, noting that sanctions could not be given while peace and reconciliation process was ongoing.
He added that the party’s leaders have implicit faith that the present challenges facing the party would be amicably resolved.
This, he said, was the reason they had remained committed to caution and decorum in order not to jeopardise the peace process and fall prey to those who do not wish the PDP well.
He said the constitution of the PDP has adequately laid down procedures for the settlement of disputes.
Metuh added that the provisions of the constitution of the party must be held sacrosanct by all members, adding that leaders of the party even have a greater responsibility to show worthy examples.
The splinter group is expected to meet with the party leadership and President Jonathan on October 7.
This is in furtherance of the reconciliation move that was initiated since the splinter group staged a walk out at the party’s last Special National Convention on August 31.