Justice, fairness, and the entrenchment of internal democracy are the oils that lubricate the survival of any political party, no matter how big and strong.
Rumours are rife that some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) at the instance of some governors are hell bent on disqualifying some aspirants in favour of some incumbent and unpopular governors, despite the fact the party’s 12-man appeal panel has submitted its report to the NWC, which cleared the aspirants.
This is not only unjust but a clear disregard for the party’s guidelines and in violation of the Electoral Act 2022. This is an attempt to deny other bona fide aspirants the right to participate in the primaries slated for May 23, 2022, and the the delegates the right to elect candidates of their choice.
Feelers are that two aspirants from Adamawa and Akwa Ibom states are targeted for disqualification just to pave way for an unpopular incumbent governor and a governor’s preferred choice to participate in the gubernatorial primaries unopposed.
Denying party members the right to participate in the primaries is dangerous and undemocratic. For instance, Ambassador Mohammed Jameel Abubakar-Waziri, former chief of protocol to former President Goodluck Jonathan, was said to have been disqualified in Bauchi by the gubernatorial primaries screening committee chaired by Abubakar Sadiq, following instructions from the party headquarters.
The aspirant was neither issued a disqualification nor qualification certificate, contrary to the rule of the party, to enable him appeal.
Nevertheless, the aspirant petitioned the 15-man appeal panel. He was appropriately re-screened by the panel, which cleared him to contest the primaries.
Contrary to what the aspirant was told in Bauchi by the screening committee, their report indicated that the aspirant as a responsible party member failed to pay his party dues. Therefrom, the appeal panel requested the aspirant to show proof of paying his dues. After sighting the original receipts as presented by the aspirant, the panel in its reports cleared the aspirant to contest in the forthcoming Adamawa PDP gubernatorial primaries.
Considering the above, one begins to wonder why the NWC would disqualify an aspirant who was duly cleared by the appeal panel consisting of six of its members and five BOT members. Does it mean the NWC doesn’t have confidence in the six members of the NWC and the five BOT members on the panel or is there any new information to warrant such intended unjust disqualification?
The deputy national chairman (North), Umar Iliya Damagum, and the national treasurer, Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, allegedly collected money and promised to exert their influence on the NWC to disqualify Ambassador Jameel, simply for the incumbent Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa state to participate in the primaries unopposed, that’s, to say, rubbishing the decision of the revered appeal panel.
If the party doesn’t want other aspirants to run against incumbent governors, why did it allow them to spend huge money on the purchase of forms and other obligations?
Why is Fintiri scared as the incumbent governor who claimed to have structures, and resources and has worked for the development of Adamawa state? Could he now be sacred of somebody who he defeated in 2019 when he was not a governor, or does he now know something which we don’t know?
Fintiri should not risk running an extraneous legal battle that could eventually end like that of Zamfara state in the 2019 elections. Pundits are sure the governor and the party are aware of the implication of section 84 (3) of the amended Electoral Act 2022.
Zayyad I. Muhammad,
Abuja
[email protected], 08036070980
