Some stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Niger Chapter, have called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to uphold the outcome of the party’s Local Government Congress held on Saturday in the state.
Mrs Deborah Salau, one of the party chieftains, described the congress as peaceful and conclusive, saying they were surprised to hear from “the other side” that lost that the congress was not okay.
Salau said that the election panel did a credible job, adding that these are the kind of persons we need if we want to come back to power in 2023.
He said one of their demands was transformation and change in the leadership of the party in the state.
Salau said there was need for the former State Chairman of the party, Tanko Beji, who had served the party for 21 years in different capacities to step aside.
“We are not saying he is not one of us, but he should step aside, take a back seat and allow Sen. Mohammed Murktar, and a new set of people to lead the party for innovation.
“We should not allow people that will kill our party. Those who are just interested in financial gain.
“All we want the party to do is to trust our mandate because the people have spoken.
“This congress has come to stay and we are all testifying to that. We are looking forward to a credible congress on Saturday,” Salau said.
Salau also alleged that the Party National Financial Secretary, Abdullahi Maibasira, was working against the progress of the party.
Hon. Baba Shehu, a former member of the House of Representatives, said though, PDP Niger lost elections in 2015 and 2019, the party was now out to restructure to take its place in the State.
Shehu decried the attitude of some of the party members, saying “some of them have no financial prudence.”
“Some of them have no human resources management. If PDP Niger must win elections from units to wards and state level, we must restructure.
“Some of the leaders that have led us for 25 years could not understand financial prudence, no respect for the members of the party and that is why we are here. We want them to step aside,” Shehu said.
The protesters were seen chanting “Maibasira must go”, “Beji must go,” “say Murktar”.
Some of the playcards displayed by the protesters were: ‘Murktar is the only solution for PDP’; ‘Beji is working for APC’; ‘Beji will Kill PDP’; ‘Support Change!!! Support Murktar Mohammed for PDP Chairman Niger’; ‘Beji compromised in 2019 elections’; ‘Beji, give account of one billion naira for 2019 election’.”
Addressing the protesters, the PDP National Secretary, Sen. Umar Tsauri, said that the party NWC had received their report, assuring them that it would look into it and justice would be done.
