John Adams, Minna
After months of leadership crisis, a new caretaker committee has been constituted for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger State with a firm resolve to return the party to its past glory.
The nine-member caretaker committee that will oversee the affairs of the party for the next three months has a former special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Akilu Ndabawa, as the Chairman.
The appointment of a new caretaker committee follows the expiration of the former caretaker committee headed by Alhaji Garba Umaru who presided the affairs of the party for the past six months.
The immediate past committee, it could be recalled, presided over an inconclusive state congress of the party, leading to the emergence of two factions, and all laying claim to the leadership of the party.
In a brief inauguration ceremony of the new caretaker committee at the party secretariat in Minna on Tuesday evening, and attended by a number of party supporters, the new caretaker Chairman appealed to all party supporters and stakeholders in the state to join hands and save the party from total collapse.
The two protagonists, the immediate past chairman of the party, Alhaji Tanko Beji, and the party’s state chairmanship Aspirants, Alhaji Murktar Ahmed were not present at the inauguration ceremony of the new caretaker committee, and no reason was given for there absent.
However, the caretaker Chairman Ndabawa told the party supporters that the caretaker committee “is here to consolidate unity, we are not here to support any interest, we want to bring harmony where there is disharmony”.
‘We are not here to promote anyone or any groups’ interest but the interest of the PDP,” Ndabawa said before urging members of the party “to put the events of the past behind us, let us unite and forge a common front. The family must be United, we should not destroy this big family.’
He expressed optimism that with the unity of purpose among the party faithful, PDP will regain its lost glory and win all elections come 2023 ‘because Niger state is PDP state.’
‘I appealed to all to put all differences behind and let us unite and work for the progress of the party in the state and the country in general. We are not here to support any interest or group, we are here to bring unity to the party,’ he added
Earlier, the former caretaker committee chairman, Alhaji Garba Umoru Ciza, disclosed that the committee inherited N3.2 million from the Tanko Beji executive, but explained that the bulk of the money was spent on the rehabilitation of the state secretariat which was damaged by a rainstorm in addition to payment of staff salaries.