Less than a week after the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) slammed the hammer of suspension on the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, another governor, this time of Sokoto State, Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako, has been served the same treatment.
The decision to suspend Wammako was made at the 388th National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja yesterday, in which the state of the party as well as the Sokoto State governor’s repeated breaches and disregard to the party’s constitution was discussed, that it decided that he proceed on suspension.
“The NWC notes that on several occasions Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko had ignored invitations and lawful directives of the NWC in this regard and has continued to show complete apathy to the affairs of the party and contempt to an organ of the Party.
“Consequent upon the refusal of the Governor to honour yet another invitation by the NWC to appear before it today, Wednesday, June 5, 2013, without any reason, the Committee, in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 57 (3), 57 (7), 58. 1(c ),(h), (f) and 59 (1),(2), hereby suspends the Executive Governor of Sokoto State, Dr. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko as a member of the party and refers the matter to the appropriate disciplinary committee of the Party.
“This is in furtherance of the determination of the leadership of the Party to enforce discipline at all levels within the Party,” the statement signed by Chief Olisa Metuh, the party’s national publicity secretary, read.
However, when contacted about the suspension, Wammako said he was unaware of it as he was out of the country and was yet to be notified.
His suspension may not be unconnected with the ongoing intrigues at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, as he is one of those said to be firmly behind factional chairman, Amaechi, who is said to have gone against the consensus candidate of the PDP, Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang.
Sources also say that other governors being targeted by the PDP for disciplinary action as a fall out of the NGF drama include Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).
Nyako had yesterday stated that Amaechi won the recent chairmanship election of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and that he was the only one he (Nyako) recognized as the authentic chairman of the NGF and that Nigerian governors would attend any meeting summoned by him.
Nyako, who stated this yesterday in Yola, also faulted the stance of Bauchi State governor Isa Yuguda that he would quit the Northern States Governors’ Forum even as he insisted that the NGF’s election was conducted in a free and transparent manner and was even videotaped.
He said, “I don’t know what made Yuguda be angry but, for all I know, Yuguda should have been happy for being part of an election that was conducted in a free and transparent manner.”
He said , “I expect all governors to avail themselves at any meeting convened by Amaechi as he is the duly elected chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. But be that as it may, it is not compulsory for anyone to attend. But I believe those with high democratic spirit will attend the meeting because Amaechi was the elected chairman of Governor’s Forum.”
Nyako said as far as he was concerned Governor Jonah Jang remains a floor member of the Governors’ Forum and is even expected to attend any meeting convened by Amaechi. “As a democrat, my expectation of the governor of Plateau State is that whenever Amaechi convenes a meeting he should avail himself in respect of democratic tenets which were driven from the spirit of fair election.”
He added that thought it is incumbent on Jang to attend any meeting convened by Amaechi, his refusal will not prevent Amaechi from carrying out his functions but will only set a bad precedence.
Yuguda had while speaking on the BBC Hausa program monitored in Kaduna called the Northern State Governors’ Forum (NSGF) ‘a bunch of hypocrites’ until they admitted to having reneged on their earlier agreement.
He also reiterated that he had withdrawn his membership of the Forum because he could not work with people he could not trust, insisting that membership was not voluntary.
“It is not a must that one must be a member of the NSGF, it is just that one finds it necessary because issues about the North are being discussed, but things should be done in unison. But what we are doing must be done accordingly; we should not be in politics to be led astray, we should do things with the fear of One Allah.
“Allah enjoined us not to betray trust, not to be hypocritical to one another, there is a verse on hypocrites from Allah and so I can’t be among hypocrites, I won’t do that.”
To make real his threat, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) of Bauchi State was conspicuously absent during the meeting of SSGs from the northern states at the General Hassan Usman Katsina House, Kaduna, on Wednesday, preparatory to the NSGF’s meeting today.
Meanwhile, Ondo State Olusegun Mimiko has challenged Amaechi to substantiate his claim that he (Mimiko) voted at the disputed NGF election.
Mimiko, who dared the Rivers State helmsman to produce the video evidence of the claim, insisted that Amaechi cannot take ecclesiastic refuge for his anti-democratic dispositions.
Reacting to Amaechi’s claim that he (Mimiko) voted at the election, the Ondo State governor yesterday said Amaechi should not hide under religion to cover up his anti-democratic dispositions. He said that nothing stops Amaechi from proving to the world that he voted by using the same video he has been using to tell the public that there was an election.
“If Amaechi is saying I voted at the election, then, I think he should prove it to the whole world that I did. I sincerely believe that a process must have led to the declaration of result contained in their few minutes’ video clip. That later part can’t come in isolation; I challenge him to show the entire proceeding including where I voted,” he added.