Is PDP dying? As more Gov (Wamakko) get the axe - where is OBJ?

The war of attrition rocking the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, across Nigeria, worsened Wednesday when it claimed another high profile casualty. The victim is the Sokoto State Governor Dr. Aliyu Wamakko, who was suspended  by the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party over what it described as anti-party activity.

Wamakko’s suspension followed that of the Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, in the wake of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum election during which he trounced the party’s anointed candidate Jona Jang of Plateau State. And since then the governors’ forum has remained fractured, with the two governors laying claim to the chairmanship of the forum.

The National Working Committee of the PDP announced the suspension of Wamakko in a statement after it rose from its 338th meeting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. The NWC added that the issue has been referred to the disciplinary committee of the party for further action.

One of the reasons given for the governor’s suspension is that he failed to honour the NWC’s invitation.

The statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, reads in part: “The National Working Committee (NWC) at its 338th meeting held on  Wednesday, June 5, 2013, extensively discussed the state of the party across the nation and its members as well as the repeated breaches and disregard to the party’s constitution by his excellency,  Dr. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, the executive governor of Sokoto State.

“The NWC notes that on several occasions, Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko had ignored invitations and lawful directives of  the NWC in this regard and has continued to show complete apathy to the affairs of the party and contempt to an organ of the party.

“This is in furtherance of the determination of the leadership of the party to enforce discipline at all levels.”

In related news

ALHAJI Tanko Yakasai, former special adviser on National Assembly Matters to former President Shehu Shagari, has berated  former President Olusegun Obsanjo over his comment that he assisted President Goodluck Jonathan to get the presidential job and left him to perform.

He said “I would like to appeal to the former president to pursue political differences with some decency and decorum. That is what is expected of a man of General Obasanjo’s calibre.”

Yakasai, who made the assertion on Wednesday in Kano, advised Obasanjo to always play a fatherly role and not cause unnecessary political bickering  among his party members.