ABUJA – TWENTY-six serving Senators
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
yesterday hailed former Vice President
Atiku Abubakar, six northern
governors who stormed out of the
venue of Saturday’s Special National convention of the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP and Governor Chibuike
Amaechi of Rivers state for the
formation of a parallel executive of the
party with Alhaji Abubakar Kawu
Baraje as national chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja as Deputy National Chairman
and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as
National Secretary. The senators in a statement yesterday
said that , “By this decision that no
doubt provides a soothing balm that
will calm frail nerves in the party, you
have written your names in gold and
will be remembered in our political history as men that stood to save the
party and Nigeria’s democracy. “We heartily rejoice with our patriots
and eminent Nigerians led by former
Vice President Atiku Abubakar GCON,
and the Governors of Kano State,
Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso, Aliyu
Wammako, (Sokoto), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Sule Lamido (Jigawa),
Muazu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Abdul
Fattah Ahmed (Kwara), and Chibuike
Amaechi (Rivers), for the bold, swift
and courageous step to reposition the
People’s Democratic Party under a new leadership. “We congratulate the new chairman,
Alhaji Abdulahi Kawu Baraje, the
Deputy Chairman, Dr Sam Sam Jaja,
National secretary, Prince Olagunsoye
Oyinola and other members of the
National Executive Committee for their emergence as leaders of our great
party. PDP Special National Convention:
President Goodluck Jonathan at 2013
PDP Special National Convention
before the walkout by Atiku and the
governors. Photo by Gbemiga
Olamikan. “We therefore, pledge our unfettered
loyalty to the Barage-led PDP National
Executive.” The senators are the Senate Chief
Whip, Senator, Bello Hayatu Gwarzo,
Kano North; Sen Mohammed Ali
Ndume, Borno South; Sen. Ahmad
Zannah, Borno Central; Sen Abdulahi
Adamu, Nasarawa West; Sen Abdulahi Danladi Sankara, Jigawa North-West;
Sen. Abdulaziz Usman, Jigawa North
East; Sen Abdulmumini Mohammed
Hassan,Jigawa South-West; Sen
Umaru Dahiru, Sokoto South; Sen
Ahmed Mohammed Maccido, Sokoto North; Sen Muhammad Shaaba Lafiaji,
Kwara North; Sen Simeon Sule
Ajibola, Kwara South; Sen Abubakar
Bukola Saraki, Kwara Central; Sen
Magnus Ngei Abe, Rivers South-East;
Sen Wilson Asinobi Ake, Rivers West; Sen Danjuma Mohammed Goje,
Gombe Central; Sen Saidu Ahmed
Alkali, Gombe North; Sen Ahmed
Hassan Barata, Adamawa South; Sen
Bindowo Umar Mohammed Bindiwo
Jibrilla, Adamawa North; Sen Aisha Jummai Alhassan, Taraba North; Sen.
Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir, Sokoto East ;
Sen. Bashir Garba Mohammad, Kano
Central; Sen. Abdulaziz Usman, Jigawa
North-East and Sen. Isa Galaudu,
Kebbi North. It was also gathered that Senators
Dahiru Kuta, Niger East and Zainab
Kure, Niger South have thrown their
weights behind the Baraje-led PDP in
support of their governor, Aliyu
Babangida. www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/pdp-crisis-26-senators-back-baraje-led-faction/