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By Correspondent in Minna
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the main opposition party in Niger state, is far from being over as the faction, led by the immediate past Chairman of the party, Barrister Tanko Beji,has rejected recommendations by the committee led by former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki.
The group, in a statement signed by its Media Officer, Yahaya Mohammed Usman and made available to journalists in Minna on Wednesday said the decision might be tested in a competent court of law to strengthen the party’s constitution and obedience to rule of law and democratic tenets.
“We find such recommendations as inconceivable, unheard of and therefore cannot stand commonsense nor any known logic, that the decision of the Saraki led reconciliation committee, that the two contestants should quit the race.
“The two contestants for the state party chairmanship should “step down” for no reason other than satisfying wishful interests is hereby rejected and if need be, might be tested in a court of law to strengthen the party’s constitution and obedience to rule of law and democratic tenets.
“The committee which came on board one year after the two contestants; Tanko Beji and Engineer Muktar Ahmed have purchased and filled nomination forms, you can’t just ask persons who purchased PDP forms to contest positions to step aside for no reason
“It is even worse when it was clear that the target was to stop Beji by all means.
“If you take into account that Mukhtar and former state Governor Babangida Aliyu preempted correctly, the outcome of all the committee’s meetings weeks before such decision was announced and even “leaked it” before Senator Saraki and other members of the committee at a meeting
“We stand by our position and if we are to nominate 100 times, we will still nominate Barrister Tanko Beji as our Chairmanship candidate, again and again. Make no mistakes,”he said.
The media Officer said PDP nomination could only be overridden or upheld by “a free, fair and transparent congress, not a reconciliation committee or any other committee and anything short of that is unacceptable to us.”
The Reporters recalls that Niger state PDP congress that had two main contenders; Tanko Benji who is the immediate past Chairman seeking a second term, and Alhaji Mukhtar Ahmed, was postponed when violence broke out at the state party secretariat along eastern by-pass.
Consequentl, the delegates from across the 25 Local Government Areas and the interim leadership of the party in the state scampered for safety, some also sustained injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment, a development that led to indefinite postponement of the exercise.
