PDP Constitutes Fact-finding Committee on N’Assembly Leadership Election

PDP Constitutes Fact-finding Committee on N’Assembly Leadership Election

• Blames Buhari over Buratai’s comment on Nigerian Army

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has set up a fact-finding committee on the role played by some of its members at the election of the presiding officers of the National Assembly.

The NWC of the main opposition party also yesterday said that the comments by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, on the national security, affirmed the position of the PDP and millions of Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari failed in his duties as a Commander-in-Chief.

The party disclosed the constitution of the committee in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday in Abuja.

The Chairman of the committee, according to Ologbondiyan, is a former President of the Senate, Senator Adolphus Wabara, while a former National Secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, is the committee’s Secretary.

Other members of the committee include: Senator Ibrahim Mantu, Senator Stella Omu, Austin Opara, Senator Abdul Ningi, and Mrs. Margaret Icheen.

The terms of reference of the committee, according to Ologbondiyan is to find out why some of the PDP lawmakers failed to abide by the decision of the party during the National Assembly leadership election.

It is also to find out whether there was any involvement of the ruling party in the decision taken by the members involved.

“To find out where there are established reasons for taking the action by members, the committee should identify such so that the party can create mutual and political atmosphere for reasonable interaction with senators and honourable members.

“To find out and recommend ways to checkmate such tendencies in the future and ensure that, moving forward, all members work together to defend the interest of the party at all times and circumstances.”

Ologbondiyan said that the committee was given three weeks from the date of its inauguration to report to the party’s NWC.

Meanwhile, the NWC of the PDP yesterday said that the comments by Buratai, on national security, affirmed the position of the PDP and millions of Nigerians that President Buhari failed in his duties as a Commander-in-Chief.

The party said that the blame must be placed at the doorsteps of the president, who is under oath as the Commander-in- Chief, to ensure the security of lives and property, but had failed even in his own promise to lead from the front.

According to PDP in a separate statement by Ologbondiyan, “Mr. President, as chief security officer of the nation, should not hide under an Army Chief to push blames when he had failed to take appropriate steps to secure the nation and refused to heed wise counsel by well-meaning Nigerians to reorder his parade and rejig the nation’s security architecture for effectiveness.

“Instead, the Buhari presidency had carried on with endless lip service, empty assurances, unnecessary blame game and obvious lack of tact, while the nation is being ravaged.

“There is no doubt that despite the cluelessness of the Buhari Presidency, our fighting troops have remained gallant, patriotic, making sacrifices and risking their lives in defending the country.

“One would expect that under the prevailing situation, a commander-in-chief should have risen up to the occasion, step up actions, resolve the issues and ensure that all efforts are galvanized to provide all necessary requirements for our troops combating insurgency and other acts of violence against our nation”, the party said.

The PDP urged the military and the gallant fighting troops not to relent at this critical time, noting that Nigerians seriously appreciate the sacrifices they make in securing our dear nation.

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