Nasarawa PDP And The Parable Of The Sinking Ship, As Party Chairman Suspend Over 8 Members

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Rabiu Omaku

The unfolding in the Nasarawa State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party under the chairmanship of the party, Hon. Francis Orogu if not adjusted would consume the party in the State.

The ongoing impasse over who emerged as the senator representing Nasarawa South senatorial district is tearing the party apart, the first steps in the rift was the suspension of 8 members cut across Doma and Keana respectively.

The suspended members are 1.Abdullahi Ibrahim Osabo-Doma 2.Rabiu Dauda –Doma 3.Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim –Doma 4.Bala Osama-Doma 5.Umar Mohammed –Doma 6.Hon.Dahiru Salihu-Keana 7.Dahiru Haruna Magaji-Keana 8.Hadiza Dahiru-Keana.

A competent source from the party who pleaded anonymity alleged that the Chairman is taking side in the contest of senator representing Nasarawa South senatorial seat by aligning himself with Senator Suleiman Asonya Adokwe.

Urging the State chairman of the party to exhibit the true position of a father to many children but not showing open allegiance to a politician”.

All effort to speak to Senator Suleiman Adokwe at the zonal office of the party by selected Journalists recently failed abortive as Adokwe at the end of the party meeting decline comment over the lingering disagreement between him and his opponent, Hon. Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo current member Federal House of Representatives who is strategizing for Senate seat.

Ogoshi Onawo on his part while addressing a delegation of PDP officials from Obi Local Government at the national Assembly says “No going back on his quest to run for Senate 2019, he however said is not afraid of going into primaries with whosoever has interest in the seat of Senate.

It was also learnt that the meeting held at Akwanga between Senator Adokwe and Hon. Onawo according to insider failed just like between the committee of Alago Development Association (ADA) led by the former Chairman of ADA, Hon.Mathew Akwe and the erstwhile State secretary of the party, Adamu Oyanki.

But Alago Concerned Youth in a statement made available to Journalists at the Zonal office of the PDP unveiled that Mathew Akwe resigned his chairmanship responsibility of the association on the 28th August, 2017 at Andoma’s Palace Doma in presence of critical stakeholders of Alago extraction.

The suspended members ,it would be recalled expressed their grievances over the unfolding and unfortunate happenings in  the party under the watchful eye of the Chairman whose herculean task was to unite the party by building the bridges of peace instead was the one destroying the solid fortress of the party in the State.

The suspended Alago Youths Forum in a letter dated 9th April, 2018 ,addressed to the PDP Zonal Chairman, Southern Senatorial Zone, Nasarawa State, Lafia with a heading “The Position of The Concerned Alago Youths In Respect To The Report of The Purported Committee of Alago Development Association Constituted by Hon. Francis Orogu PDP Chairman, Nasarawa State).

The Forum referred to the outcome of the committee report as a Kangaroo committee as the Youth expressed discontentment over the position taken.

The Youth Forum alleged that Mr. Mathew Akwe and Adamu Oyanki who claimed to be members of the committee are working for Senator Suleiman Asonya Adokwe are disguising under ADA which is a socio-cultural Association.

The group stated that Mathew Akwe is no longer the Chairman following his resignation on the 28th, December, 2017.at Andoma’s Palace Doma.

The Youth also pray that the leadership of the party should shun zero tolerance to impunity.

-The leadership of the party should shun imposition by allowing the contest to be free for all card carrying members.

The Zonal chairman, Jibrin Idase thanked the party Forum for visiting him and promised to embrace all aspirants seeking for elective positions.

Calling on the national secretariat of the party to intervene before the party died a natural death.

The chairman according to party supporters is using his exalted office to molest party loyalist including officials at ward and Local Government level, saying Orogu is killing the party the more.

A Party chieftain from Lafia says the fate of Nasarawa PDP hang on the balance with the emergence of Francis Orogu as the leader.

In addition said the Chairman was the first person to breach party position for contesting against the arrangement on ground and won as the number one PDP member in the State in the last chairmanship election that brought him to power.

“The chance of Chairmanship of the party was zoned to Obi with Bar.Yakubu and Danladi Musa (Garkuwan Daddere) as aspirants but he flouted the arrangement  and was supported by incumbent and former PDP House of Assembly members as a contender from Keana and still nobody challenged his emergence” What was Orogu talking about.

Also an erstwhile elected Councilor representing Sabon Gari ward in Doma Local Government accused the party Chairman of been powerful than every other party members and officials. , saying this single attitude compelled him to dumped the party to the ruling, All Progressives Congress.

Investigation has shown that the Chairman on assumption of office use his veto power to expelled a big shot of the party who was now romancing with the ruling party, Hon. Dahiru Tanko from Azara,former Director General of the incumbent Member  Federal House of Representatives representing Awe, Keana, Doma federal constituency Hon. Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo.

It was reliably gathered that Hon .Dahiru Tanko, a grassroots mobilizer was foist to leave the party without due process as the party Chairman did not allowed him to face a disciplinary action by the party disciplinary committee.

Further information gathered revealed that since Hon.Francis Orogu assumed office most of the party meetings witnessed low turnout of loyalist and party chieftains.

Party supporter who pleaded anonymity posited that the boycott of the forthcoming Council election by the party was a unilateral decision taken by the State Chairman.

Another grave mistake of the State Chairman which was resisted by some politicians was the zoning of governorship ticket to Nasarawa North come 2019.

It would be recalled that a one-time governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in 2015 General election, Alh. Yusuf Agabi kicked against the zoning of the party ticket to Northern zone.

He stated this when members of the Correspondents’ Chapel paid him a Sallah homage at his abode at project quarters sometimes ago.

The former governorship a candidate of the party and an erstwhile minister of the Federal Republic, Labaran Maku attributed his exit from the party to injustice meted on him by some cabal of the party.

When asked by Journalists whether he would return to his former party, the People’s Democratic Party if called upon by the leadership to contest for governorship  2019,he said is still making consultation with his party, saying he will make it public if the time comes.

The PDP chairman in an interview affirmed that the party sent delegates while he met with Maku to lure him back to the party but he said is still making consultation.

When Journalists asked Francis Orogu whether PDP would accord automatic ticket to Labaran Maku, the Chairman disclosed that the former minister would be given the chance to contest like every other contestant but not to be given automatic ticket, he added.

On the recent skirmishes that ensued between the State chairman of the party and loyalist to Hon. Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo at the party secretariat which lead to exchange of banters and the subsequent suspension of over 15 card carrying members of the PDP, the State chairman did not respond to calls put to his mobile phone.

The question that needed ardent answer was what will be the future of the People’s Democratic Party in 2019 election with the boycott of Local Government poll which was slated for 26,May 2018 ?.

Some Concerned Alago Youth Forum called on ADA as a socio-cultural group to take a concerted effort on what will unite the party by embracing all Alago national vying for any elective positions.

“The illegal ADA if they had the power to compelled Hon. Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo to maintain his House of Representatives and Suleiman Adokwe to remain in the senate beyond 2018, why was Senator Hussaini Agyegbola on the platform of the All Progressives Congress not asked to step down, What was ADA doing in respect to the issue of Hon. Ibrahim Dalla who was vying for House of Representatives, representing the Awe, /Doma/ Keana Federal Constituency under the platform of the PDP?

A stitch on time saves nine as the State party if the ongoing is anything to go by, then Francis Orogu most act fast to save the party from total collapse.

As a party that is losing it members on daily basis, the Chairman should give room to aggrieved party loyalist found wanting by appearing before a disciplinary committee.

It is only this process that would encourage new people to decamp to the party.

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