Politics
A former Minister of Information, Prof Jerry Gana, on Friday said only “renegade members” of the party took part in the Thursday meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee where the decision to endorse President Muhammadu Buhari was taken.
The Director-General, G19 Presidential Campaign Team of Prof Jerry Gana, Dr Ike Neliaku, made the former minister’s position known at a press conference in Abuja.
Neliaku claimed that majority of the authentic and principled members of the NEC were not invited to the meeting. He described the endorsement as unfortunate and retrogressive.
He said, “We note that majority of authentic and principled NEC members were not invited to the said meeting; while some that were invited boycotted the meeting.
” Likewise, hirelings were recruited to bear the identities of genuine NEC members, who, though were invited but chose not to be a part of their envisaged insidious plot packaged in a desperate bid to create a perception of acceptability so as to enhance the value of their merchandise and ultimately increase the revenue of their transaction.
“We also like to state that the purported suspension of the National Publicity Secretary and some state chairmen of our party is laughable and unacceptable as due process and constitutional provisions were not followed.”
Neliaku said the Gana team was awaiting the judgment of the Supreme Court and would remain focused and keep hope alive.
He added that Gana will on Monday convene a stakeholder’s conference to organise how to win elections in various constituencies.
Meanwhile, Prof Tunde Adeniran has taken over the chairmanship of the party from Chief Olu Falae, following his (Falae’s) resignation.
The party’s National Secretary, Alhaji Shehu Gabam, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
The statement read, “The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party Chief Olu Falae, GCON, has officially stepped aside from his position. He communicated his decision to the party on Friday, February 8, 2019.
“Chief Falae, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Minister of Finance, predicated his decision on personal reasons which bordered on his desire to retire from active partisan politics.
“He had earlier indicated his intention to step aside on turning 80, but was prevailed upon to tarry till after the 2018 national convention of the party.
“Thereafter, he once again expressed his readiness to quit after the successful convention but was made to stay back to steer the party out of the litigation that emanated from the presidential primaries of the party.
“He was made to understand that as the leader of the party, it was not good for him to leave the party in the midst of internal squabbles. He, therefore, stayed back.
“In taking this final decision, he has recommended, in line with the party Constitution, that the Deputy National Chairman (South), Prof Tunde Adeniran, OFR should step in, effective Monday, February 11, 2019 as the de facto National Chairman in acting capacity pending ratification at the next National Executive Committee meeting and National Convention thereafter.”
– Feb. 9, 2019 @ 03:31 GMT |
Tags: says Jerry Gana SDP: Only party renegades endorsed Buhari
