Wada seeks PDP’s intervention in clash with opponent

By kamoru sakiru

Kogi State Governor Idris Wada has appealed to the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to intervene in the dispute between him and Alhaji Jibrin Isah (aka Echocho) over the party’s governorship ticket.

A Federal High Court in Abuja will rule next Friday in a suit filed by Echocho seeking recognition as the authentic governorship candidate of the PDP in the last December 3 poll in the state.

Wada yesterday urged the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to intervene in the dispute. He said his efforts to reconcile with his opponent had failed.

He said: “Mr. Chairman, despite my efforts at reconciliation, a member of our party still has four cases against me in the court. I think that is wrong and I call on you to intervene as quickly as possible.

“The guidelines of our party with regards to going to court are very clear and I have read the guidelines on the governorship elections very carefully. They state that any issue must be resolved through the internal system of resolution in the party. Mr. Chairman, elections were held in December and we are now in June.

“Mr. Chairman, I will be deceiving you if I tell you that all is well in our party in Kogi State. I am happy and honoured that our leaders and representatives from the 21 local government areas, from the three zones of our party, are here with me. Those who could not make it may be having assignments.

“But despite my efforts at reconciliation, there are still indiscipline and disunity within the party. I want to call on you and members of the National Working Committee to use your wisdom and experience to unite our party.  

“Our common challenge is the opposition. We should not as a party have members toeing different lines from what the manifesto and the leadership at the national level have guided us to do.”

Tukur assured that the PDP under his leadership would ensure genuine reconciliation of aggrieved members not only in Kogi but all over the country. 

But in a swift reaction, Echocho said yesterday that there could not be reconciliation at the expense of justice, fairness and the rule of law.