The factional Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP, led by Abubakar Kawu Baraje has decried the incessant harassment of its members by security operatives acting on the orders of the Presidency, just as it woos undeciding and intending governors to join its political “Résistance Army”.

In a communique issued at the close of its meeting and made available to Blank NEWS Online, the new PDP unveiled plans to enlarge its mobilisation and contact committee in a bid to explore undisclosed options if the dialogue with President Jonathan fails to yield agreeable result.

Recall that the caucus meeting eventually held at the Kano Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja on Sunday, after the group’s earlier meeting was disturbed by a detachment of policemen who stormed the Sokoto State Governor’s Lodge, also in Abuja.

The 11-Point Communiqué reads:

Following its caucus meeting held on 27 October, 2013 in Abuja, the nPDP has enumerated its 16-Point resolution in a communiqué signed and issued by its National Publicist, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze.

The meeting attended by the New PDP stakeholders resolved as follows:-

1. The meeting congratulated and commended the Alh. Abukakar Kawu Baraje-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party for exhibiting quality and purposeful leadership since their election and urged the team not to relent until Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is restored to the right path of democracy and civilised conduct unlike the draconian style of leadership being exhibited by the Alh. Bamanga Tukur faction of the party.

2. The meeting reviewed the events that preceded the formation of the New PDP which main aim was to stop some of the undemocratic acts and impunity associated with the Tukur leadership of the party. It took stock of all the efforts by members of the group to assist in putting the PDP back to a democratic path as envisioned and envisaged by the founding fathers of the party and commended members for staying so faithful to the goals, vision and mission of the historical step we took by walking out during the ill-conceived and flawed August, 2013 Special Convention of PDP.

3. The meeting enlarged the Mobilisation/Contact Committee to include more Sitting Governors and Ex-Governors. The Committee was mandated to explore other options available to the party should the dialogue with President Jonathan fails to yield any positive result for its future political activity as the vision and mission of the party cannot be derailed by any force or group of people no matter the ploys and plots. The Committee is expected also to liaise with the new five other PDP Governors and other leaders that have indicated interest to join the group and to submit their report during the next meeting of the Caucus that will hold in a week’s time to ascertain how these distinguished new members would be received by the party.

4. The meeting set up a Fund/Finance Committee mandated to source for extra funds to run the party.

5. The meeting reviewed all our Court cases so far and counselled the Legal Team to ensure that our water-tight cases are professionally handled and ensure success in all the cases involving the party henceforth. The Meeting commended the Legal Team led by Mr. Ahmed Raji (SAN) for filling the notice of appeal and also seeking an injunction and a stay of execution of Honourable Justice Chukwu’s ruling against us some days ago before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

6. The meeting reviewed all the peace meetings so far held with President Jonathan and the Tukur Faction of the party and commended our Governors for the maturity they have exhibited in the course of the meetings even though all the issues we raised and presented through the General Olusegun Obasanjo-led Elders Committee to President Jonathan and his people have been bluntly turned down.

7. The meeting noted with sadness that instead of President Jonathan to critically examine and act on some of the issues we raised, our members in various States of the Federation are being persecuted, humiliated through the unfair use of State powers, arrested and put into prison as is the case in Baylesa and Gombe States just to demonstrate its disdain for peace and plot to destroy the party. To further demonstrate that they don’t want peace in the party, Tukur has continued with his hidden agenda by setting up parallel chapters in states where he has nobody backing him to ensure that PDP is destroyed without any remedy. Some of the demands presented by our Governors include the need to reverse the impunity in Rivers State, where a sitting Governor was suspended from the party against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the PDP Constitution, and refusing to uphold the result of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum election that saw Governor Amaechi winning 19 to 16 votes against Governor Jang. Others include our request for the removal of Alh. Bamanga Tukur as our party National Chairman knowing his flawed election as our party Chairman, and ending the impunity in Adamawa State, among other demands that will put PDP in a strong position as a political party but for reasons not to clear to some of us failed to receive the blessing of Mr. President. To us, we see all these as attempts by the Tukur’s faction to destroy the party seeing that they have no stake in the party anymore.

8. The meeting thanked both the International Media, the media in Nigeria, including social media, for not only showing interest in our plight and efforts to restore normalcy in our polity but also for demonstrating unalloyed commitment in presenting the facts about our struggle. Their support and the courage God has given us have being the source of our strength all these while. We urge the media not to relent as this is a collective struggle for the future of our country.

9. The meeting vehemently condemned the deployment of the Police to the vicinity of the Sokoto Governor’s Lodge, Abuja, with a view to scuttling the Caucus Meeting, not knowing that the Sokoto Governor’s Lodge was used as a decoy since we’re well aware of the evil mentality of our opponents. This is the same Police that cannot find a solution to the menace of Boko Haram, kidnapping and other security challenges of the country but now used to harass innocent unarmed civilians like our members!

10. The meeting concluded that by urging our Governors to continue to pursue peace within the party in the hope that President Jonathan and Tukur’s faction would stop the persecution of the party faithful and allow common reason to prevail in our efforts to restore peace to our party but should all our efforts to restore peace to the party fail, Nigerians should know those to hold responsible for the destruction of PDP come the 2015 general election.

11. The meeting rose with a resolution to reconvene in a week’s time at a venue to be communicated to members.

New PDP chieftains that attended the meeting included Governors Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); former governors Adamu Aliero (Kebbi State); Bukola Saraki (Kwara State); Danjuma Goje (Gombe State); and Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa State).Others included the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje; Deputy Chairman Sam Sam Jaja; National Secretary Olagunsoye Oyinlola; and Vice-Chairman, North-West, Ibrahim Kazuare, among others. The excuse by the Governors of Kwara and Niger States to be absent from the meeting was tabled and accepted.