PDP governors counsel Tinubu against use of force in Niger

Governors elected on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform and the party’s stakeholders met on Saturday in Abuja to chart a way forward for the country’s biggest opposition party.

The PDP presidential candidate in the last general election, Atiku Abubakar, his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, and members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) attended the meeting.

The NWC members present at the meeting were the PDP Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja, and National Vice Chairman (South-South), Dan Orbih, among others.

The governors in attendance were – Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Duoye Diri (Bayelsa), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Kefas Agbu (Taraba), and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara).

However, the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was conspicuously absent from the meeting.

Fubara, the vice chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, is a close ally of the former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who is one of the 48 ministerial nominees picked by President Bola Tinubu.

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Mohammed, who read the communiqué issued at the meeting, said PDP leaders resolved to shun any act of indiscipline in line with the party’s ethos.

The PDP leaders also urged President Tinubu to shun the temptation of using military force against the coup plotters who ousted President Mohammed Basoum in the Niger Republic.

He said: “The meeting emphasized the need for party discipline and reiterated zero tolerance for anti-party activities and sabotage. No individual or group of individuals will be allowed to undermine the unity of the party and its processes.

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“The meeting committed to repositioning and stabilizing the party. To this end, the healing and reconciliation process is in progress and yielding results. The meeting signaled that unity and loyalty are still core values of the PDP and would be rewarded.

“All the Governors and organs of the party solidly support the PDP Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the PDP Vice Presidential Candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, to rescue the stolen mandate in the tribunal and would do everything lawful towards achieving this.

“The meeting counseled the Federal Government to show leadership in curtailing the cost of Governance. 48 ministers and several Special Advisers and Assistants should be reduced to ensure the health of our economy.

“The meeting advised the President, Commander in Chief, and the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria not to go into any form of war with the Republic of Niger over the recent military coup in the country. Rather, all tools of dialogue and diplomacy should be further employed.”