Kano PDP LG chairmen sack state exco

• It’s an exercise in futility — State Chairman

The 44 PDP local government chairmen in Kano State yesterday said that they had dissolved the 27-member state caretaker committee of the party led by Alhaji Suleiman Rabiu Bichi.

The 44 chairmen disclosed this at a press briefing addressed by the interim chairman of the new caretaker committee, Mahammina Bako Lamido, at the state headquarters of the party.

They said the dissolution became necessary because the legal mandate given to the committee had expired, stressing the mandate was not renewable by virtue of Section 31(2)(e) of the PDP constitution 2017 (as amended) which stated that the time shall not exceed 3 months.

“It is pertinent to state that the illegal and illegitimate caretaker committee which has overstayed its welcome has obnoxiously taken steps by issuing letters of suspension and verbal warning to various members of the party on the allegation of anti-party activities as disciplinary measures without following due process as laid down by the constitution of the party,” he said.

Alhaji Lamido said the 44 LGA party chairmen wrote to the national leadership of the party on June 21, 2019 and sent a reminder in August 21, 2019 notifying them of the expiration of the tenure of the caretaker committee.

He said the letters, which were ‘appropriately’ acknowledged, did not prompt any response or action from party leadership.

He said the 44 LG chairmen relied on Section 24(2)(3) of the party’s constitution 2017 which mandated them to resolve political, social and economic issues of concern to the state.

In his reaction, the embattled state chairman, Alhaji Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, described the action as a futile effort that could not stand the test of time.

Bichi said the same group had gone to court four times, challenging the caretaker committee which he was leading but failed to win any of their suits.

He said both the courts and the National Executive Committee (NEC) members of the PDP had given them full mandate to run the affairs of the party in the state till April 2020 when there would be a Congress of the party.

The Rabiu Bichi-led caretaker committee was formed in August 2018 by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party after dissolving the state exco, following the return of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to the party.