17th July, 2014
Uncertainty has gripped the PDP in Plateau over the confusion trailing the suspension of its Chairman, Dr Haruna Dabin.
NAN recalls that Dabin was suspended from office in May at a PDP Stakeholders’ executive meeting over allegation that bordered on financial mismanagement.
Dabin, who was suspended for two weeks, was also accused of running a one-man show and refusal to convene congress sessions “for several years”.
A committee was set up to investigate the officer and report back within the period.
Dabin, who before his suspension had declared his intention to contest the governorship election, was replaced in acting capacity by his deputy, Mr Raymond Dabo.
The former chairman had dismissed the suspension, claiming the purported meeting where the action was taken was illegal since he (chairman) was the only officer empowered to convene such meeting.
After several extension of the suspension period, and with the PDP office still run by the acting chairman, Dabin brought a letter purportedly written to him by PDP National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, in which the party headquarters claimed it was not aware of his suspension.
The letter, dated July 9, 2014, referred to the main issue that led to Dabin’s suspension.
It cited Article 57, Section 7 of the PDP constitution, which allowed Dabin to remain in his position even after declaring his intention to seek the PDP ticket to contest the governorship election in 2015.
Under the section, Dabin could hold on to the chairmanship position till such a time as stipulated by the party’s guidelines for the conduct of primaries for the governorship seat.
The guidelines are still being awaited. However, shortly before Dabin produced the letter, the state executive council of the party met and passed a vote of no confidence on him.
Armed with that letter from the national headquarters, Dabin attempted to force his way into his office on July 14, but was denied entry by policemen who claimed they were acting on orders.
The controversy took a fresh dimension on July 10, when another letter, purportedly written by Dabin, claimed that he (Dabin) had resigned his position as chairman.
In the letter addressed to the PDP headquarters, Dabin claimed he resigned “to make room for greater harmony in the party”.
“In view of my desire to contest the governorship election, I hereby give notice of my resignation in line with Section 47, sub-section 5, of the party’s constitution with effect from July 14,” the letter said.
NAN reports that the letter only worsened the confusion as Dabin denied writing such letter, while the acting chairman of the party declared that the letter purportedly written by the party’s national headquarters was also fake.
“The officials of the party have claimed that the letter from the national headquarters is fake; they have equally claimed that they could not act on it even if it was not fake because it was addressed to someone they claimed to have suspended,” Dabin told NAN in Jos on Thursday.
Our correspondent, who visited the PDP state office in Jos on Thursday found security men at the gate, who said they had been instructed to guard the place against “intruders”.
Dabin told NAN that the headquarters would soon intervene on the matter. But a source at the party office claimed that Dabo might soon be confirmed as substantive chairman of the party after stakeholders claimed that Dabin may not provide a level playing field for governorship aspirants since he was also a contestant.