2023: PDP BoT Chair Alleges Threat to His Life over Zoning

2023: PDP BoT Chair Alleges Threat to His Life over Zoning

By John Shiklam in Kaduna

Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Walid Jibrin, has raised the alarm over threat to his life.

Addressing journalists on Thursday in Kaduna, Jibrin said he had received calls from some people threatening his life for not saying that the PDP’s Presidential ticket be zoned to the north east when he addressed the media last week.
He said he had petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over the issue.

Jibrin said: “I have received call from some people threatening my life over my coming out not to mention that the presidency of this country be zoned to the North East.

“They were saying that I am a traitor that I should have come out to say that it is only Atiku Abubakar because I said that Atiku was already overthrown by the Supreme Court.

“They said for that I should say Atiku is the man that I want.”

He said there is no how he could single handedly declare anyone as a Presidential candidate of the party as it is the duty of stakeholders to select a candidate.

“ I am a leader, I have to make a lots of consultations with National Working Committee, our Governors, then the NEC had to take decision and they should not forget the party has a constitution and a guideline which says there must be primary for whoever wants to contest.

“We have not even discussed about zoning so why are some people….?” he said.
He stated further that “about three people went to Wadata Plaza (the party secretariat in Abuja) and demanded to see Munir Yerima.
“ When they were there, Yerima rang me saying where I are mine and I said I am in Kaduna, then he said some people want to talk to me and I said let me talk to them on phone, he said they are intermediary between me and some party people.

“They said I have gone astray and if I don’t recant they would arrange bandits to deal with me wherever I go.
“So I told the man to go and do whatever he wants to do that I am equal to the task. Then I realised it’s only a demonstration but they may be planning to assassinate me.

“I have written to the Director General of the DSS and the IGP to ensure that the matter is seriously handled as people can’t stand on their own.

“I am an elder statesman, in the party and in Northern Nigeria. I am a Fulani man who has tried to stop the threats of militant Fulani in my Local government in my state.

“I am a very religious person who cannot even kill a rat or even an ant, yet people are trying to harass me, to assassinate me. I want the police to give me protection and stop this harassment.

“They said the people are from Kano, Sokoto, Adamawa, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi and Jigawa states. It is a gang from these Northern states who are planning against me. Let’s see if the security agencies would allow this to happen. I would do all expected of me, I am not shaken”.

Jibrin said the PDP has not concluded arrangements towards 2023, stressing that “all we are doing now is reconciliation to ensure that our party is together, we have concluded arrangements to hold congresses.

“ Soon NWC would convene a NEC meeting and convention to ratify the arrangements.

“If the Igbos ask me how do I explain to them? There are people agitating for the Southwest, so we have to bring people together to agree on what people want, so they should leave me alone” he said.

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