AUGUST 31, 2013
Taraba State Governor, Mr. Danbaba Suntai
The Peoples Democratic Party, on Friday, spoke on the crisis in Taraba State since the arrival of the Governor, Mr. Danbaba Suntai, from a medical treatment abroad.
The PDP National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, in an interview with journalists in Abuja, said that the party would on Friday not allow governance by proxy in the state.
He said that some people wanted to take advantage of the health of the governor to take over government of the state by proxy.
He stated, “People want the area could see opportunities. You know politics is full of interests and intrigues.
“Maybe those who want to rule the state having realised the feeble condition, which our governor, Sunati is, want to take over governance by proxy. We don’t do that. We are going there. We are going to resolve the problem.”
There has been a power tussle between Suntai and the acting Governor, Garba Umar, since the former’s arrival in the country from a 10-month medical treatment abroad.
The governor had through a statement on Wednesday Silvanus Giwa, dissolved the state executive.
But the acting governor directed the commissioners to ignore their sacking.
Also, the 16 members of the state assembly advised the governor to go back to the United States for treatment.
The lawmakers claimed that before Wednesday, all their efforts to meet with the recuperating governor, who arrived in Jalingo on Sunday from the US, were rebuffed by people close to him.
They said that from the manner the governor spoke when they finally met with him on Wednesday, they doubted that he authored the letter in which he informed them of his return and desire to resume work
Tukur, in the interview with journalists said that the leadership of the party would visit Taraba next week.
He stated, “If not for this convention (the mini-convention), I would have been in Taraba. Immediately after the convention, we are going to Taraba. It would be resolved.”
The national chairman recalled that when Suntai was flown to Germany after the plane he flew crashed, he went there to see him.
He added that when the governor was transferred from a German hospital to the United States, the committee set up by the party visited him (the governor).
Tukur said, “We will continuously monitor him because we are the one who gave him ticket. The PDP legislators, governors or the President are having the PDP tickets.”
He also explained the stand of the PDP in the crisis in its Anambra State chapter over the choice of its candidate for the November 16, 2013 governorship election in the state.
The PDP has two governorship candidates, Senator Andy Uba and Mr. Tony Nwoye, in the state because of the crisis.
While Uba emerged as the candidate of the Ejike Oguebego faction of the party, Nwoye was returned as the party’s choice for the election in the congress conducted by the party’s Governorship Congress Committee led by the Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema.
Explaining the stand of the PDP, Tukur said that on his assumption of office as the national chairman of the party, he promised equity.
Tukur said he promised a level playing field for members of the party in any electoral process.
Referring to Tony Nwoye, the national chairman said that the PDP had nominated its candidate for the governorship election.
He also insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission had no right to recognize the party’s governorship candidate.
“We follow constitution. The Nigerian constitution and our party constitution do not give INEC power to recognise or elect a candidate for the party. It is our own responsibility,” he stated.
Tukur also said that the PDP had asked the police to investigate how the other faction got the materials it used for its primaries.
He stated, “We have asked the IGP to find out how the other party got these sensitive materials and they are investigating because the PDP only gave electoral materials to authorised people to organise the primaries.”
Tukur also denied entering into an alliance with a PDP leader in the South-West, Chief Buriji Kashamu.
The national chairman said, “I don’t have any preference for any member. As a member, you are entitled to one vote. You are entitled to your own opinion in the party. The question of alliance with anybody does not arise.”
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