By Gilbert Ekezie
The National Deputy Chairmen of the National Conscience Party (NCP) recently met over the leadership vacuum in the party and elected Comrade Suleiman Ahmed from North West, as the Acting Leader of the party, having passed a vote of no-confidence on the Chairman of the party, Mallam Yunusa Salisu Tanko.
The National Deputy Chairmen are representatives of the party in all the six Geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
It could be recalled that Mallam Tanko has recently taken up appointed as the Spokesman for the Labour Party, a development which obviously did not go down well with NCP’s stakeholders who demanded his immediate resignation, not just as the chairman of the party, but also as a member of the party.
The heat has been on for Tanko to resign as it is unconstitutional for him to belong to two parties at the same time.
The Deputy Chairmen said their meeting should be viewed not just as crucial but expected in order to provide the much-needed leadership for the party’s membership.
The resolutions of the body were made public after their marathon meetings held on December 28, 2022, January 2nd, 2023, January 6th, and January 10th, 2023, through a virtual platform.
The Deputy Chairmen stated that their meetings and resolutions were based on the leadership vacuum in the party and as elected representatives have the mandate to provide a sense of direction to their teeming members. “Recognising that there is a leadership vacuum that is needed to be addressed urgently; Determined as elected Leaders from the Geo-Political Zones of Nigeria to provide that sense of direction to our members imbued with a new political vision to emancipate our members from their current confusion and crisis of confidence due to lack of adequate information and communication and/to lift them up to a state of great awareness and sensitization, befitting every member of the Party and, convinced of our inalienable rights of freedom of association, based on shared opinion as recognised and guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human and Peoples Rights, we believe that the party would be made more formidable once the issue of leadership of the party is addressed.”
Part of the resolutions was the election of Comrade Suleiman Ahmed, North West, as Acting Leader of the group. “For the purpose of coordination and providing a ‘rallying point’ for the party’s activities within the Zones based on Article 4.4.2 (b) and 5, pending the outcome of a NEC/NCC Meeting we unanimously elected Comrade Suleiman Ahmed as Acting Leader of the NDC).”
Other major decisions taken at the virtual meeting include pursuing the legal case for the Re-registration of the party by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to a conclusive end, even if to approach the Supreme Court.
The political group appealed to members party to eschew any form of misinformation, quarrel and exchanges of words that do not promote peace and cohesion of the party in the trying time of the party and treat one another with mutual respect.
The NDC were also charged with the responsibility of ensuring that every member from their zones abides by the resolutions.
They noted that the Party is in a very critical stage of evolution with the potential crisis of confidence that could destroy the Party, if urgent steps are not taken, adding that there is a leadership vacuum which is needed to be addressed urgently.
The chairmen were also of the opinion that there is a need for them to meet physically to address other critical issues “The outcome of the above-enlarged meeting of the NDCs shall lay the groundwork for a formal physical NEC/NCC Meeting at a date and venue to be agreed upon by the Leadership of the Party.”
The group regretted and mourned the ‘passing away’ of their colleague and Comrade: Mallam Idris Adamu, the NDC, North Central
Those who attended the virtual meetings and signed the resolutions include Pastor Peters Omoragbon (National Deputy Chairman-South South). Alhaji Waheed Lawal (National Deputy Chairman-South-West); Comrade Adebola Lateef (Ag. National General Secretary). HRH Goodluck Obi (National Deputy Chairman-Southeast); and Comrade Suleiman Ahmed (National Deputy Chairman- North West).
