BREAKING NEWS: Mu’azu, Anenih Resign

Former Bauchi State governor, Adamu Mu’azu, has finally succumbed to pres­sures on him to resign as Na­tional Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).

Mu’azu’s letter of resigna­tion dated May 19, 2015 was addressed to the Deputy Na­tional Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, who had since assumed office as acting national chairman of the party.

In a related development, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, has stepped down from the posi­tion, citing the current state of affairs in the party as reason.

In a one-page letter he signed and sent to President Goodluck Jonathan dated May 20, and entitled: Notice of my decision to step down as Chairman, Board of Trust­ees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Anenih said his decision would enable President Jona­than to effectively assume the chairmanship of the BoT.

The letter read in part: “Your Excellency will recall that in a conversation I had with you a few weeks ago, I had offered to step down from the office of the chairman of our party’s Board of Trustees and pro­posed to handover to you as its new chairman in a ceremony that would have taken place on May 23. I had also repeated this position in our subsequent meetings.

“As a follow up to the above proposal and in view of the current state of affairs in our party, I have decided to formally put my offer in writ­ing to enable you effectively assume the chairmanship of Board of Trustees or approve a process that will enable any other member of the BoT, who is considered competent, to as­sume the position.

“Kindly accept, therefore, this letter as notice of my deci­sion to step down from the po­sition of chairman of the BoT of our party with effect from today, May 20, 2015.

“I am happy to inform you that, I remain a loyal founda­tion member of our great party and will continue to pray for the prosperity of Nigeria, our party, and for you and your family.

“Your Excellency, kindly accept the expression of my highest regards.”

The national chairman and some aides of President Good­luck Jonathan and PDP gover­nors had been trading blames in the last three weeks over which organ of the party was responsible for its failure to win the presidential election as well as the routing of the party in its strongholds in the gover­norship elections.

In the past two weeks, Mu’azu had successfully staved off moves by those smarting to unseat him by travelling out of the country, thereby frustrating the agita­tion for an emergency meeting of the party’s national execu­tive committee meeting. But he lost out at the weekend as President Jonathan instructed him to resign from his posi­tion.

National Publicity Secre­tary of the party, Olisa Metuh, confirmed the resignation of Mu’azu, but gave indication that he threw in the towel due to health challenges.

He further disclosed that Deputy National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, had assumed office as acting national chairman, pending replacement from North-East zone.

Also briefing newsmen, National Secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, acknowl­edged that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had received the resignation letter of Adamu Mu’azu. He was, however, silent on the fate of Chief Anenih.

“The NWC of the PDP at its 399th meeting today (yes­terday) received and accepted the voluntary resignation of the National Chairman of our great party Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu.

“Consequently, in line with the provisions of sections 45 (2) of the PDP constitution, the Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, acts in place of the national chairman pending a replacement from the North-East zone.

“On the correct position of the status of the Chairman of BoT of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, the NWC will make its position public today,” Ola­dipo said.

He further disclosed that the PDP NWC resolved to set up a seven-memeber disciplinary committee with Chief Michael Addul as chairman while Tony Okeke will serve as secretary.

Daily Sun checks revealed that the committee might axe former Aviation Minister, who was Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presiden­tial Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, for his sustained criticism of the party national leadership.

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