Adamu Mu’azu appeal to PDP defectors to return

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, has enjoined Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, to appeal to the five PDP governors who defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress to reconsider their action.

Mu’azu said that Lamido should do so ahead of a visit to the five governors by a committee to be constituted by the National Working Committee of the party to reconcile all aggrieved PDP members.

Lamido was a prominent member of the seven aggrieved PDP governors who were the linchpin of the now defunct New PDP.

The Jigawa governor and his Niger State counterpart, Babangida Aliyu, however, developed cold feet when the five other aggrieved governors announced their decision to join the APC. The five are Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), and Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano).

But when Lamido visited his office in Abuja on Wednesday, Mu’azu said, “I want you to help us talk to the G-5 ahead of our meeting with them. Appeal to their sense of patriotism. We will visit them. You are a key figure in the then G-7,which is now G-5.”

Mu’azu, who was responding to a comment by Lamido that those who defected did so in anger, said that members of the PDP NWC would look at all issues that made the party’s membership to be declining.

He appealed to PDP members to remain steadfast and committed, adding that these were the only ways to tackle the problems facing the party.

Mu’azu said, “PDP made most of the people and we expect that whatever be the case, we should remain within and correct the needful for us to move forward.

“With my colleagues in the NWC, I want to assure you that we will look at everything that led to our party to be reducing in number and in size and we will address them.

“Whatever injustice that had been done, we are going to correct them (and) we will be bold enough to say sorry to those that had been wronged.”

He added after due consultation with the party’s major stakeholders that a high level reconciliation committee would be put in place.

He stressed that the PDP under his leadership would continue to strengthen and deepen internal democracy to ensure that anyone with its ticket won elections.

It will be recalled that Amaechi, Wamakko, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, Dr. Sam Jaja and Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure were suspended by the NWC led by Tukur.

Wamakko’s suspension was later lifted but Amaechi was recommended for expulsion by the PDP Disciplinary Committee headed by Dr. Umaru Dikko.