I don’t think there has ever been a party both locally and internationally that has enjoyed this much press coverage (for famous and infamous reasons) as the PDP. It seems the crises in the party is being fought on multiple fronts as these days all we hear are crisis, cross platform movements and backstabbing. Yet again it seem the lingering crisis rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new dimension as the factional chairman of the party in Adamawa State, Joel Madaki, has issued a 14-day ultimatum to Governor Murtala Nyako and other elected representatives of the party to re-validate their membership cards or leave the party.
Mr Madaki, who has the backing of the national chairman of the party, Bamanga Tukur, at a press conference in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, said the recent utterances of Mr Nyako has shown his intention to dump the PDP on whose platform he was elected. He added that the party “cannot be intimidated by action of one man.”
He said his faction of the party in the state had opened a register for the governor and other elected representatives to sign within 14 days from Wednesday.
“Nyako has turned himself to rebellion child of PDP. He mentioned that he will help to bury the PDP and equally gave his consent for local government chairmen and councilors duly elected on the platform of the PDP to defect to a rival political party using coercion and intimidation.
“As the state chairman of this party, it should be clear to Nyako that PDP is not a party he can toy with,” Mr Madaki said.
The chairman accused the governor of plotting to destroy the ruling party, saying Mr Nyako’s exit would make the party strong and vibrant.
“It is no pretence that Governor Nyako has since instructed his loyalists to move to another party and maintaining that he is still in the PDP, to cause havoc. Democracy is about freedom to make choices.
“We wish to warn that the PDP will not tolerate any attempt to coerce and intimidate our elected local government chairmen and councillors. The basic tenet is that one cannot serve two masters,” Mr Madaki said.
He assured all public officials elected on the party’s platform that proactive measures would be taken to protect their mandate with all the might at the party’s disposal.
“All elected representatives on the platform of the PDP, are therefore, advised to remain resolute in defending their mandate and are all urged to revalidate their membership status as we approach the mid-term convention. While we promise to defend our elected representatives, we shall not stand in the way of anybody wishing to leave the party,” he said.
Mr. Madaki explained that registers have been opened at the ward, local government and state party offices for elected representatives to signify their resolve to remain in the PDP.
He said, ’’Councillors are to sign the register at their Ward Party offices, Council Chairmen at the Local Government Party Office. While the members of the State House of Assembly and members of the National Assembly are to sign their names at the State Party Secretariat.
“Failure on the part of the elected representatives to sign the register within 14days from the date of this announcement, may leave the party with no alternative than to declare their seats vacant,’’ he threatened.
In a swift reaction, the secretary of the PDP faction loyal to Mr. Nyako, P. P. Elisha, said he is not surprised by Mr. Madaki’s statements, describing the latter as an ‘impostor.’
He claimed that Mr. Madaki may be working on a script by Mr. Tukur, and that the faction was not recognised by the constitution.
He explained that Section 29 of the party constitution stipulates that the National Executive Council (NEC) and the National Working Committee (NWC) are the only organs vested with the responsibility of conducting a revalidation exercise in the party.
“There is nowhere in the party constitution that warrants someone to warn people and give them deadline to leave the party,” he said.
He said it was wrong for anyone to allege that Mr. Nyako and his supporters are trying to leave the party.
“The problem with them is that they cannot understand simple English; when Nyako said he is trying to save PDP from doom ahead of 2015 general election,” he said.
Mr. Elisha said what the governor meant was that he would revive the party; but if the National Secretariat insists on illegality and the party fails in 2015 polls; he would still remain in the party to mourn with other stakeholders.
He called on elected public officials on the PDP platform to shun Mr. Madaki’s directive, saying the latter only wants to be politically relevant.
Mr. Madaki is, however, not new to party membership revalidation exercise. He, as PDP state chairman in 2007, supervised a membership re-validation exercise that led to the exit of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; and former Adamawa governor, Boni Haruna; from the party.
Both men have since returned to the PDP with Mr. Haruna only returning a few weeks ago.
Mr. Nyako is one of the northern governors believed to be opposed to the re-election plans of President Goodluck Jonathan.