By Laleye Dipo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told a group within the party that it has no constitutional power to suspend a former governor of Niger State and member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu.
On Monday, the group, in a communiqué after its meeting, said it has suspended former Governor Aliyu over allegations of anti-party activities which has led to cracks within the party since 2014.
In a statement titled ‘Notice of suspension of Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu from the PDP, Chanchaga LGA’, it alleged that the former governor worked against the victory of then President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the party’s governorship candidate in Niger State, Alhaji Umar Mohammed Nasko, by supporting and funding the opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC), in 2015 with the sum of N450 million to defeat his own party for personal and selfish interest.
In addition, the communiqué signed by 10 members of the party in Chanchaga Local Government accused former Governor Aliyu of refusing “to participate and attend party activities; undermining and working against the resolutions of party organs especially the state caucus and causing division that has led to inability to resolve the issues surrounding the position of state legal adviser that has been unoccupied since 2015 in his own local government area”.
The Publicity Secretary of the North-central zone caretaker committee, Mr Sulaiman Mohammed, who made this known in a statement in Minna Tuesday said: “Those parading the fake news are enemies of the PDP, who are bent on fanning the flames of disunity in our great party.
“It has come to our notice, the fake news making the rounds on social media that former Niger State governor and member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) His Excellency, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu (CON), has been suspended by the party.
“While we feel it is worthless joining issues with social media fake news peddlers, we deem it necessary to put the records straight so as not to confuse our teeming and loyal party faithful in Niger State and elsewhere.
“Truth is that Dr. Babangida Aliyu, a former governor, who is a serving PDP BoT and NEC member is not and cannot be suspended by his local government chapter of the party.
“Those parading the fake news are enemies of the PDP, bent on fanning the flames of disunity in our great party.”
Mohammed therefore appealed to party members and the general public to discard same as fake news and handiwork of mischief makers.
“We equally appeal to our party leaders and stakeholders in Niger State to close ranks and work together to bring back the peace that has eluded us and denied us victories in the state,” Mohammed said.
The Chairman of the PDP in Chanchaga Local Government Area, the area where former Governor Aliyu comes from, Alhaji Jemilu Saudi, the former governor’s Ward chairman, Alhaji Yahaya Sulaiman Ebbo, and the state Women Leader, Hajia Habiba Haruna, also dismissed the action of the group, describing them as faceless people without any political base.
They unanimously said that they were not part of the action, adding that if Aliyu was to be suspended, the action should start from his ward.
They said serious action will be taken against all those that took the illegal action.
