Genesis of Plateau PDP crisis

THE relative peace in the Plateau State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to have been shattered with the suspension of the state party chairman, Dr Haruna Dabin, by the State Executive Committee at its meeting on Monday. The chairman had been having a running battle with some members of the PDP Working Committee and Governor Jonah Jang over the declaration of his intention to run for the governorship of the state and the insistence of both party and the governor that he must resign if he wanted to contest. The controversy in the past three weeks had caused a sharp division among stalwarts of the party. Those sympathetic to his cause perceived the directive to resign as too rough and a ploy to frustrate his ambition, while others hinged their reason to resign on the provision of the party’s constitution which Dr Dabin vehemently rejected. While the scheming was going on, the state secretary of the party, Mr Saleh Pam, acting in conjunction with other state working committee members, called for an emergency meeting of the party at the Presidential Lodge in Rayfield. Prior to the meeting, Dr Dabin had issued a statement describing the meeting called by his secretary as illegal and urging members to disregard the announcement. Contrary to the belief that the meeting called by the secretary would record a low turn out, those in attendance were more than two-thirds of the SWC membership, thus conferring legitimacy on the meeting. The meeting was presided over by the deputy governor, Mr Ignatius Longjan. The communique issued after the meeting took on a wide range of issues concerning the party. The chairman, Dr Dabin, who was absent, was suspended for allege misappriation of party funds and instituting a suit against the party. The was signed and read by the chairman of Mangu LGA, Mr Caleb Mutfwang, a lawyer, co-signed by the PDP chairman of Qua’an Pan LGA, Mr Noel Maiyaki; Simon Mwadkwon; member Representing Barkin Ladi/Riyom Constituency in the National Assembly, Timothy Golu, House of Assembly members and Gyang Badung, representing the State Exco of the party. Part of the communique read: “In view of the deliberate refusal by the party chairman, Dr Haruna Dabin, to call meetings of the various organs of the party for an unduly long period of time, and the consequent failure to render financial accounts to the party; “Given the convincing indications that the said chairman instigated some members of the party to institute a law suit against the party, the State Executive Committee is constrained to suspend the chairman pending full investigations by the party’s disciplinary committee within two weeks from 16/06/2014. The party frowns at the tendency of some members to rush to court without exhausting the party mechanisms provided for in the party’s constitution for settling internal party disputes. Members are warned that henceforth the party will not hesitate to mete out disciplinary measures against such violations of the party’s constitution.’’ The outcome of the meeting was a terrible blow to some of the party members, who thought that the issues would be treated as an ‘in-house matter.’ While some party members hailed the suspension, others were of the opinion that it was too drastic and capable of igniting another row and division within the party. Reacting to the meeting, Dr Dabin said: “I was not invited for the meeting, I only heard it on the radio. We were hoping to hold the State Working Committee meeting in the office this morning but my staff called me that the police came in with an order to seal the office and they were asked to go home. The illegal meeting that they are holding now can only produce illegal result. Whatever decision they take there, is not binding because the meeting is illegal.” Shortly before the outcome of the meeting, Dr Dabin had told Nigerian Tribune the his trouble started after he intimated Governor Jang with his intention to contest for the gubernatorial ticket of the party. He claimed that the governor simply told him that he would support whoever God anointed and went further to tell him to resign his position as the chairman if he had made up his mind to contest. Dr Dabin said he disagreed with the governor and pointed out that until the electoral guidelines were released, he could not resign, citing examples of those who held public offices and party positions in the past who contested for elective positions but did not resign until the guideline were out. He said: “I am unmoved and completely unperturbed, by the grace of God I shall stand this election. There is no desperation about it. When the party guidelines are released, I will be obliged to resign, as provided in the constitution, and pursue my campaign. If anybody doesn’t want Dabin to contest, the field is open. Go out to the party members and tell them how bad Dabin is. The game plan is to stop Dabin; I will be chairman and continue to be chairman until the guidelines are released.” Political observers and those who have been monitoring the trend of events in the state said the unfolding drama within the PDP in the state was part of the scheming and build up to the 2015 election. They wondered why a minor issue, which should have been tackled without much ado, could snowball into the conflagration tearing the party and polarising it along tribal lines. A chieftain of the party, who preferred anonymity, said: “Although I am not so much a fan of Dabin, the fact cannot be contradicted that he was suspended without being heard. This is in breach of his right to fair hearing as provided by Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Chapter 10 (6) of the PDP Constitution provides that, ‘Any decision taken against a member, who has not been informed of the charges against him or has not been given any opportunity to defend himself, shall be null and void.” Observes are also quick to ask why the sudden wrangling considering the cosy relationship between the governor and the suspended chairman. The latter had no doubt helped to stabilise the party when some notable members of the PDP were scheming to wrestle the structure of the party from the governor and his loyalists. He had shielded the party from invasion using his wealth of experience to bring the required stability. A source close to the governor, who did not want his name in print, revealed that Jang could not save the chairman from humiliation despite his achievements because of some allegations against him. During the eight-year tenure of former Governor Joshua Dariye, three chairmen: late Alhaji Yakubu Huseini, Alhaji Abu Shindai and Chief Maichibi Vwarji, piloted the affairs of the party, but they all left unceremoniously amidst controversies. From 2007 to date, Chief Slyvanus Lot and Professor Dakum Shown almost left office in the same pattern like their predecessors. Analysts posited that the unfortunate scenario playing out could blur the focus of the party towards 2015 if not properly handled and nipped in the bud.[Nigeria Tribune]