30th June, 2016
The Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State, Mr. Hassan Hyat, has expressed optimism that the crises rocking the party at the national level would “eventually be resolved amicably”.
“The lingering issues that have polarised the national level of the PDP will be resolved amicably.
“After all the court cases, members must usually sit together and find a political solution that will take in the interests of all stakeholders because no one can force others to fall in any particular line in a democracy,” Hyat said in Jos.
Hyat on Thursday said that court rulings and pronouncements had their limits in a political system.
“The court can rule on who is right or wrong. But politically, we need each other; it means that winners and losers must come to the round table to chart a way forward.
“So, what we are saying is that, instead of waiting till the courts direct us, let us discuss on our own so as to boost mutual respect and understanding,” he said.
He advised senior members of the party, from all sides of the divide, to have open minds and put the party’s interest beyond their personal interests or ego.
Hyat blamed the crises on followers, who believe that their leader must call the shots if they were to meet their yearnings.
“It is such followers that usually prevail on their leader never to give up, as doing so may affect their ambitions.
“But I believe that the PDP is big enough to meet the yearnings of all members and should not be destroyed by those seeking to gain from it.”
However, the chairman dismissed speculations that the PDP crises stemmed from personality clashes between leaders of the two factions led by Messrs Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu Sheriff.
“Makarfi is only a chairman of a caretaker committee given just three months to complete an assignment.
“So, anyone fighting him and his team is not fighting his person, but fighting the party that set up the committee and place him atop of it,” he said.
Hyat said that key members of the party were already meeting with some respected associates of the principal personalities in the conflict, so as to find common grounds toward harmony.
The chairman noted that the crises had only confirmed that the PDP, even when not in power, was still worth fighting for.
“It shows that the party has some huge potential to determine Nigeria’s political destiny.
“It also shows that there are still many members interested in this political group and want to keep it alive,” he said.
Hyat advised PDP members to see the developments as normal in any political group where people had the right to agitate.
The chairman also rejected allegations that the PDP convention that propped up the Makarfi team was an illegality.
“The convention could not have been illegal when it was supervised by INEC.
“I have also heard that the convention was suspended by the then National Chairman, but that was not even possible because it was the National Executive Council (NEC) that organised the convention and only another NEC meeting could have suspended it.
“To the best of my knowledge, and from available records, there was no such NEC meeting; one official could not have unilaterally suspended the convention without consulting with others,” he said.