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Friday, 03 July, 2009 07:57 pm
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| Obasanjo's ouster looms as PDP okays new BoT |
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| Wednesday, 06 August 2008 | ||||||
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Source: The Guardian IN what appeared like the beginning of the end to the former President Olusegun Obasanjo's hold on the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the leadership of the party rose from a marathon meeting yesterday, endorsing the recommendations of the two panels raised by the party to pacify aggrieved members who left the party. One of the recommendations is that the present Board of Trustees of the party be reconstituted and its functions refocused. Obasanjo was absent at yesterday's meeting. The party, under the chairmanship of Senator Ahmadu Ali, set up a reconciliation committee in July last year headed by former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, but the report of the panel was not implemented. The committee noted that most of the former members of the party complained of lack of internal democracy in PDP and declared the urgent need to do something about it. The committee recommended that article 12:77, which was introduced during the 2006 constitution amendment exercise, should be expunged. The clause makes the chairmanship of the board the exclusive preserve of former presidents on the platform of the party, which was what led to Obasanjo's emergence in succession to Tony Anenih as BoT chairman. Another panel set up by the party under the chairmanship of Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Bello Haliru Mohammed, upheld the recommendations. Addressing a press conference after the meeting, the national secretary of the party and the national publicity secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje and Prof. Ahmed Rufai Alkali respectively, said the meeting resolved that a meeting of founding fathers of the party be convened before the end of the year to work out the way forward for the party. They also said the meeting decided that henceforth, rule of law would be allowed to guide the party in all actions. "NEC considered the recommendations of the Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed-led Committee that reviewed the report of Dr. Alex Ekwueme's National Reconciliation Committee. NEC deliberated extensively and arrived at the following resolutions: "A summit of the founding fathers of the Party has been summoned for the last quarter of 2008 to deliberate on how best the Party can revert to the original values and principles on which it was founded. "NEC believes this would form the bedrock for reconciliation and internal democracy. "The Party henceforth commits itself strictly to its electoral guidelines and constitutional provisions on issues of nomination. "The era of arbitrariness in the nomination process is over. NEC also resolved to propose an amendment to the provisions of the party's constitution that deals with the leadership, membership and functions of the Board of Trustees. NEC accepted the recommendation that the Board of Trustees should revert to its advisory role as contained in the PDP Constitution 2001 (as amended). NEC also accepted the recommendation that any member of the Board of Trustees can aspire to Chair the Board as against the current provision that limits the chairmanship to former holders of particular offices. NEC also resolved on the reconstitution of the Board of Trustees in line with the proposed amendments." "A special National Convention of the Party shall hold in the first quarter of 2009 to consider these constitutional amendment proposals," they disclosed. The two men further said that the meeting also decided to set up a think-tank at all levels to advise the party, while an evaluation committee would also be set up to appraise performances of elected members of the party. "The PDP shall set up standing monitoring committees to evaluate the performance of its elected officials in each geo-political zone. Each committee shall comprise members drawn from the six geopolitical zones who shall ensure compliance to the Party's manifesto in the conduct of state affairs. "NEC resolves to establish a think tank at National and State levels that will brainstorm, digest and proffer advice over key issues that will put the Party ahead of its rivals. This think-tank shall work with the Peoples Democratic Institute, PDI and relevant agencies of government. "NEC also proposed an amendment to the PDP 2006 Constitution to include the power of each state caucus to co-opt elders into its membership. This will address some of the complaints of sidelining by members of the party. All nominations for appointments must come from the recommendations of state caucuses," the meeting resolved. It was resolved that all members of the party who defected should be contacted immediately. The party reconstituted its disciplinary committee with the following members. Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed - (Chairman), Chief Abu King, Sholuwa - (North Central), Chief Wike Nyeson - (South South), Hon. Chief Olusola Oke - (South West), Chief (Sir) Tony N. Ezebuiro - (South East), Barrister Shuaibu Shehu - (North East), Dr. Musa Babayo - (Member/Secretary), Hajia Dari The meeting reconstituted the board of Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI) as follows: Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed - (Chairman), Nkoyo Toyo (SS) - (Member), Dr. Fred Ajah Agwu (SE) - (Member), Adebola Kesha (SW) - (Member), Layi Alabi (NC) - (Member), Dr. Akilu Indabawa (NW) - (Member), Dr. Musa Ahmed Musa (NE) - (Member), Dr. Haruna Dabin (Rep. former DG's) - (Member), Anthony Ubani (DG PDI) -(Member/Secretary). The meeting scrapped the office of national secretariat hitherto established to keep records of the party. Addressing the meeting, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua commended the National Working Committee for its efforts in reconciling members of the party and reiterated that Vision 2020 remains the hope for Nigeria. He called on Nigerians to support the vision so that the country could reach its El Dorado. Yar'Adua added that the conduct of the party's national convention was a demonstration of leadership quality by the party. "The last time we had this NEC meeting, I expressed my optimism that as large as this party is, we will conduct , by the grace of God, successful national convention and that has come to pass. We conducted a very successful national convention which was witnessed by all in this country and indeed, throughout the world. We have a disciplined leadership and we have demonstrated the capacity of PDP as a party to conduct its affairs as a responsible organization in such a way that will show that we are leaders in this nation and we are a leading party in Africa. "I want to thank all PDP members for the way in which we organised ourselves and conducted a very successful convention. Mr. chairman, I have had the opportunity to interact with you and other leaders of the National Working Committee and I have known the efforts you have been making, how you have been conducting yourself in order to continue with the excellent work which the former national executive began. I urge you to continue to consolidate consolidate PDP as an agenda-setting party," he said. Reiterating the importance of Vision 2020, the president said the approach of the party to governance was exemplary in the continent. "What you are doing and the effort you are making, I really appreciate. In particular, the swift manner in which you moved to try to resolve issues that arose from the congresses in the states and the way you have been trying to ensure that you reconcile various aggrieved parties in states where there have been problems arising from the conduct of congresses." According to Yar'Adua, transforming Nigeria into a developed economy, the 20th largest economy by the year 2020 is a vision, a mission and a challenge that PDP must accomplish. "This is one of the projects and it is the destiny of this party to effect this transformation." The president also said that with the accomplishment of the vision, poverty and other problems facing the nation would disappear. He commended the relationship between the executive and the legislature, noting that it was a new dawn. Former president Olusegun Obasanjo and former chairman of the BOT, Chief Tony Anenih were absent just as the governors of the South West states of Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Oyo states who are all PDP members sent their deputies to the meeting. Governors who attended the meeting included those of Plateau, Kaduna, Edo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Rivers and Kwara. The Guardian learnt that efforts by former deputy national chairman of the party in the South, Chief Olabode George to convince the meeting that holding a mini-convention for the purpose of reviewing the constitution as it affects the BOT would be expensive was discountenanced by the meeting.  Quote this article on your site | Views: 577 | Print | E-mail
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