Ogbulafor’s meddling in Kebbi PDP

At the occasion, Ogbulafor had observed that lack of unity in some state chapters of the party was a source of worry to the national leadership and urged members to bury their differences so as to ensure that PDP governments at all levels fully deliver democratic dividends as promised during the campaigns. The targets of the PDP chairman’s remarks were the warring factions of the party springing up in various states of the federation.

With this in mind, PDP members in Kebbi State were therefore surprised to hear that the Ogbulafor by-passed his deputy and sent a letter through the zonal national vice chairman, directing the party leadership in Kebbi not to undertake the affirmation of the newly-constituted state executive of Thursday, June 11, 2009. Ogbulafor purportedly based his decision on a petition, which was allegedly written by the former governor of Kebbi State who claimed he was writing on behalf of himself and PDP members in the National Assembly. In the said petition, the former governor dissociated himself and the entire members of the National Assembly from Kebbi State from such an action.

While no attempt was made by the national leadership to clarify issues with the caretaker committee of the party in the state, the state governor, being the leader in the state, was also not contacted for clarification of issues, and the national chairman unilaterally decided to send the directive just hours before the event was slated to hold and no tangible reason was given.

This, of course, did not go down well with the entire members of the House of Representatives representing the state who swiftly came out with an advertorial addressed to the national chairman in some newspapers to dissociate themselves from the petition. They further argued that they were indeed participants of the party congress that endorsed the replacement of the various vacant Exco positions made up of (a) the State Chairman; (b) State 1st Vice Chairman (Kebbi Central); (c) State Secretary; (d) Asst. Organising Secretary; and (e) Legal Adviser. They also reaffirmed not only their support for the new executive members, but also their unalloyed support and loyalty to the PDP government in the state under the dynamic leadership of Governor Sa’idu Usman Nasamu Dakingari.

As an intrested registered and loyal member of the party in the state, I wonder what the motives of the national leadership of our great party is in this matter that it could decide to take sides without due regard to the fact that there never existed and never would be factions in the party in our state.  Ours is made up of members who are absolutely loyal, dedicated and led by a transparently-honest and God-fearing leader in the person of Dakingari who is totally committed to the delivery of democratic dividends to his people.

While one would concede that donation of a mansion in highbrow and choicest part of Asokoro, as well as other choice plots, could be compelling reasons for such action from the national leadership, I find it difficult to discountenance the rumour in Kebbi State that such blind support for a petition that is not worth the paper on which it was written was given because of the hold the petitioner has on the national leadership.

In Kebbi State, ours is true and genuine respect and loyalty to constituted authority, and this is not only manifest but seen to be so in our party which has hitherto never witnessed factionalism or serious internal wrangling in the past.              Of course, there might be other extenuating circumstances that could lead to such support by the national leadership, but my prayer and indeed that of other teeming party loyalists in the state is that it is not the aim of Ogbulafor to create division in the party in our dear state. The entire Honourable Members representing the state in the National Assembly as well as all our Honourables in the state House of Assembly, had assured the National Leadership of their total acceptance of the action taken by the state leadership, because they cannot accept a situation where such vital offices are left vacant when the former occupants have since moved on to greener pastures.

The national leaders of our party need to also know that the fact that ours is an easygoing governor who doubles as state party leader, and whose only fault may be the respect he gives not only to his superiors but to all citizens of the state should not be misconstrued to mean weakness, but a sign of strength that God bestows on only those few He chooses to bless.

I, therefore, beseech the national leadership who presently appears to accept and respect the wishes of our distinguished son of Kebbi State in the person of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory more than any other person to in the name of God leave Kebbi State PDP alone to run its affairs. We know the needs of our people better than anybody else as it is he who wears the shoe that knows where it pinches the most.

Alhaji Ahmadu is a Kebbi PDP member.