Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have set in motion machinery for a mini convention of the party to thrash out the fate of the PDP embattled national chairman, Mallam Adamu Mu’azu.
Mu’azu, who is currently out of the country on ‘medical vacation’, was reportedly sighted in Singapore yesterday.
A source close to him said yesterday that he might not be back in Nigeria until after the May 29 change of guards at the Aso Rock Villa.
Mu’azu has come under severe pressure to relinquish his position following the defeat of the party in the last elections.
He said he will do no such thing.
He left the country about two weeks ago on ‘a short medical vacation’ although PDP sources said it was to allow tempers to cool down and for the party’s chair to stave off pressure from the Presidency and party leaders on him.
Leading the Mu’azu-must- go campaign are the party’s governors who are now plotting a mini-national convention.
One of the top sources said: “The last time we heard from the National Chairman was from Singapore. He is certainly abreast of every development in the party.
“His position and that of the National Working Committee is that we should keep the party intact instead of fanning the embers of discord by pushing for the dissolution of the NWC.
“Muazu had emerged as the party’s national chairman in January 2014 and will it help the survival of the party to be contemplating a change of leadership again in May 2015? We will just be a laughing stock.
“And President Goodluck Jonathan bought the idea during the week when he appealed to governors and party leaders to sheathe their swords in the interest of the survival of PDP.”
But there were strong indications that PDP governors and leaders might demand for a mini-National Convention to look at “issues in the party.”
The convention is likely to hold after the submission of the report of a committee headed by the Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu.
One of the governors said: “At our meeting, the President actually played a conciliatory role as a leader. But the body language of the President and other leaders was the urgent need for a drastic change.
“No one in the party wants Mu’azu and his team any more. The earlier the NWC members realises this, the better for them.
“The PDP governors and leaders will have no choice than to ask for a mini-National Convention. The NWC members do not own the party and they cannot dictate to the party.
“Really, I do not see how Mu’azu can survive the demand for change by PDP leaders and members.”
A high-ranking NWC member however said there is already a case in court seeking to stop any party leader to either remove Muazu or force him to resign.
The NWC member asked the agitated PDP members to respect judicial process.
“From our records, two PDP members (Tasiu Iliyasu Hussaini and Waziri Amadu) have filed an application before an Abuja High Court to stop the party from forcing the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu and NWC members to resign.
“In the May 14, 2015 application, they urged the court to restrain the party from dissolving the National Working Committee without following the relevant guidelines in the PDP Constitution.
“So, to the NWC, the party has to maintain the status quo until the final determination of this suit. We are not going anywhere.”
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