---As Useni Calls For Calm
*17 LGA Party Chairmen Standstill with Sango, Gombi



By Daniel Dauda, Jos


The suspended Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State, Damishi T. Sango said their hands are clean, described his suspension as an exercise in futility.

He said the action was motivated by so-called imminent issues arising from elections and party affairs.

He also refused claims of alleged compromise during elections noting that "PDP did not lose election. I am the chairman of the Governor in my party. Anti-party politics is capital offense."

Sango who addressed Journalists at the party's Secretariat in Jos shortly after state council meeting, said the claimed that they took the action to save the party does not hold water because they see their action as a morbid attempt to divide the party and cause disaffection and confusion.

“The State Executive Committee (SEC) is made up of 72 officers and how can 16 of them constitute the SEC to take such a serious action for a whole party?
“Suspension of Party Chairman and his Deputy. This is illegal as the 16 did not follow the constitutional requirements. Resources sent to the state for the presidential elections. We state that this matter was appropriately reported to the State Campaign Council. The template was also discussed and approved by the Campaign Council. It was not to be reported to the party since it was the party that constituted the council.”

According to him, the funds were not signed for and collected by the party Chairman and/or his Deputy as alleged.

He argued that funds were rightly signed for and collected by a team led by the gubernatorial candidate, and this was disclosed in full to the State Campaign Council
On the Money for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), he said It is true that the Deputy Chairman was chairman of committee handling the IDP funds.

"Other members were Vice Chairman, Northern Senatorial Zone Hon. Chris Hassan, State Organising Secretary Yabuku Chocho, Chairmanship Candidate of Jos North LGA Hon Aminu Zang, Vice Chairman Central Zone, Hon. Benedict Shignuhul, and Assistant State Secretary of the party Hon Felix Penswang who was also the Secretary of the committee. The sum of N3.1m was realised from various contributors”.

The statement added that committee then made Hon. Penswang as chairman of the subcommittee to buy the items.
“His members are the State Financial Secretary, Mrs Mary Adar-gar and PDP Chairman of Jos North LGA, Aminu Abdullah. The entire money was handed over to Hon Penswang who bought the materials and reported back to the main committee.

“The materials were not distributed. As far as we are concerned what happened to the materials afterwards can best be explained by the chairman of the three-member committee Hon Pienswang who signed the letter suspending the State chair and deputy not the State deputy Chairman. "

Concerning the money for the retreat, he said that the money amounting to N2.6m and other funds of the party were domiciled in Sterling Bank.

“These sums were garnished by a court order on all PDP accounts – national and state following a judgement against the national secretariat of the PDP.

“This situation has been consistently reported at SEC and SWC meetings. The Chairman of the Retreat Committee, Hon Chris Hassan who is illegally being touted as the interim chairman of the party is very much in the know of these facts and cannot claim ignorance of same.”

According to him, The substitution was done based on the report of the Appeal Committee formed and sent by the national secretariat of the party.

He added that It was not a substitution made by the chairman, deputy or the state secretariat of the party. In any case, which election did PDP win in Wase, since the party lost the Presidential, Senatorial, House of Reps, guber and House of Assembly elections in Wase.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the SEC which set up the Campaign Council is made up of over 72 members. And 16 who signed the illegal suspension order cannot therefore form a quorum to dissolve the council. So, this is another illegality.

“Drawing from the relevant portions of the PDP constitution, therefore, Hon Chris Hassan cannot take over the reigns of the party. Chapter 10 of the PDP constitution 2017 as amended spells out specific disciplinary procedures against officers who are suspected of committing infractions against the party. The Chairman of the party who is also a NEC member.

“We have come across very reliable information that the action of the 16 is being sponsored by a third force to cripple the very promising petitions at the elections tribunal. And we want to state here in clear terms that this action will fail woefully."

Meanwhile, the governorship candidate of the party in the state, Senator Jeremiah Useni appeal for synergy among the PDP family most especially at this critical moment that are working assiduously to reclaim their mandate at the tribunal.

In another development, 17 Local Government Area chairmen of the party(PDP) affirmed that Damishi Sango and his deputy Amos Gombi still remain legitimate leadership of the party until due process is followed.

The Kanke LGA chairman of the party who spoke on behalf of other chairmen said those who took the decision acted against party's Constitution.

You would recall Damishi Sango and Amos Gombi were purportedly suspended from office over alleged financial misconduct by 16 out of the 72 state Executive Committee(SEC) members of the party and immediately appointed Chris Hassan, vice chairman Northern zone on acting capacity pending the resolution of the matter.