Jang Shuns PDP Reconciliation Committee

The relationship between Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State and the national leadership of the ruling People’s Democratic Party may be heading for the rocks following the decision of the governor to shun the visit of the PDP reconciliation committee to the state.

Jang had insisted that he was not ready to receive anybody till the conclusion of the party primaries in the state.

Our correspondent learnt that the 15-man reconciliation committee for the North-Central zone led by a former Minister of Defence, Mohammed Bello, had indicated interest to visit the state last Friday to reconcile and receive former governor Joshua Dariye, a former Federal Capital Territory minister, Jeremiah Useni, and a former deputy governor of the state, Pauline Tallen, and others who had written to the national secretariat to indicate their interest to return to the party.

But after visiting Kwara State, the committee was said to have made attempts to get the governor to intimate him with their desire to visit the state. However, when all efforts to get the governor failed, the committee was said to have gotten the acting state Chairman, Mr. Raymond Dabo, who got in contact with the governor.

It was further gathered that the governor told Dabo that he was not ready to receive the team.
A source close to the national secretariat of the PDP told our correspondent on Sunday that the committee was worried that the governor was blocking all avenues to reconciling all aggrieved members of the party in the state.
The source said that in view of the development, the national secretariat was considering some measures to ensure that the party remained intact for the 2015 general elections.

Part of the measures, our correspondent learnt, was the reconstitution of a new executive that would be neutral enough to see to the conclusion of the state primaries.

The source said, “As far as the party is concerned, we have tried to bring everybody on board and would not be happy to see anybody blocking these efforts. The party primary is so crucial and you are expected to bring everybody on board. It will not be a participatory democracy if some people with good intentions are shut out of the party.”

However, the State Organising Secretary of the party, Mr. Mike Dachollom, blamed the national leadership of the party for trying to divide the PDP in the state.
Dachollom said that it was not the governor that shunned the committee but the party because it was neither aware of the constitution of the committee nor the visit of the committee to the state.

Dachollom, who is also the State Chairman of the Interparty Advisory Committee, added that membership of the committee was suspect ab initio because it was Mohammed, who as the deputy national chairman introduced PDP 1 and 11 along with Dariye and others few years ago. He added that the party was not consulted when the committee was constituted.
Dachollom said, “What do you mean by reconciliation. You will be reconciling if you bring those who are full members and have one grievance or the other, but in this case Dariye, Useni and Tallen wrote a letter that they wanted to come back to the PDP after defecting to other parties. If they are to rejoin the party, there should be procedures. The national secretariat did not communicate to the state about the visit of the committee.
“Moreover the constitution of the party is clear on this. Joining party is an individual thing and not through a union. The three wrote jointly using the letter head of a company belonging to Useni and even attached list of their supporters, some of whom are already working with the governor.”

He advised those wishing to join the party to go through their wards as demanded by the party constitution and not trying to use their influence to make the national secretariats to coerce the state chapter to allow them easy entry.