Yakubu Busari, Jos
The leadership crisis rocking the People Democratic Party, PDP, Plateau State chapter, has deepened with the call by a PDP Concerned Unity Group, on Chris Hassan to vacate the secretariat of the party and allow former Minister for Youth and Sports Hon Damishi Sango led leadership to spearhead the state chapter by a Friday deadline.
Spokesman of the group, Hon Dakas Nathaniel Dakas in an interview with our correspondent at the party secretariat on Tuesday urged the aggrieved parties to lay down their differences and give peace a chance to reign.
He said as concerned members, the unity group is not interested in the lingering crisis brewing within the members of the party but it wants to ensure that no one is benefitting from what it called “ illegality with what is happening to the party in the state now”.
He said: “We condemn some group of party faithfuls who refused to follow the due process in addressing the crisis but warn those who are illegally occupying the secretariat to urgently leave the environment before Friday.”
Dakas reiterated that the Chairman, Hon Damishi Sango should be allowed to hold say at the secretariat until the determination of investigation of allegations against his exco by the national working community of PDP
The Group displaying placards with inscriptions in favour of embattled Chairman Sango, during a protest at the party secretariat in Jos, on Tuesday
The leadership tussle threatening the soul of the Plateau State Chapter of the local PDP is apparently creating tense moments within the party and to a large extend the entire state, if not properly handled, as it is still has strong follower ship in the state. The incumbent governor Simon Lalong won the last poll with a 20k plus margin as both parties polled over half a million votes each.
The impending threat is not far from the sacking of the Damishi Sango leadership and his Deputy, Amos Gombi over allegations of corruption and misappropriation of party funds, and the subsequently appointment of the former Vice Chairman, (North) Hon. Chris Hassan to man the affairs of the party. The new dimension is that, the Sango support group have viewed the sanction against his leadership as an affront to a constituted authority and as such sees it as a platform and a worthy cause to meet resistance.
The Concern Unity Group, which on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest at the party Secretariat in Jos, is seen as sponsored by loyalists of Sango to send warning signal to the Chris Hassan led group to vacate the Party Secretariat on, or before Friday for the interest of peace.
The protesters were carrying placards with inscriptions; Sango is still our authentic PDP Chairman among others
Addressing Journalists shortly after the protest, leader of the group, Dakas Nathaniel Dakas alongside the Youth leaders, Mike Nyako and Chollom Haruna said they that have completed arrangements to lead D.T Sango to reclaim his office on Friday.
According to them, the action is informed by the fact that since after the ‘purported sacking’ of Sango and Co, the National Secretariat of the party had sent a delegation and advised the Chris Hassan Exco to maintain status quo pending the outcome of the investigation, but have “the ‘usurpers’ had failed to comply.”
They added that their concern is for due process to be followed and that Sango should be investigated, if need be, before any further action is taken.
“Two wrongs can’t make a right, why should the Chris Hassan group refused to adhere to the advise of the National Secretariat?”, they asked rhetorically.
“We have called you here to help us tell them; those illegally occupying the PDP Secretariat led by Chris Hassan who claimed to have impeached the authentic Chairman, D.T Sango, to vacate the office on or before Friday because we are going to escort Sango to reclaim his office on Friday.
“Our elder statesman, distinguished Senator J.T Useni had even cautioned them but they have refused, and therefore we want peace and will do everything possible to ensure that the right thing is done”
Nobody from the Hassan group was available for comments but they had earlier stated that they were merely following a decision by the local party stakeholders to stay in office until the allegations against Sango were investigated and settled amicably.
