The Niger State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP is currently embroiled in crisis over results of the just concluded local government congress in the state.
The party now has two factions – one faction calls itself the Concerned PDP members in Niger state led by former Deputy Governor, Dt. Shem Zagbayi while the other faction calls itself the Niger state PDP Card Carrying Members led by former Speaker of the Niger state House of Assembly, Honorable Ndanusa Hassan.
The two factions addressed Journalists in different fora in Minna accusing the other of trying to manipulate the results of the just concluded local government congress.
The Concerned People’s Democratic Party members said that the Senator Hamman Misau led electoral team had absconded with the results of the congress saying that they are aware of the treachery, machinations and arm twisting the other fractions is deploying regarding the result of the congress.
Dr Shem Zagbayi at a press conference in Minna said, “On the 5th of September 2020, the local government congresses in Niger State held, and all results were announced, collated and all winners were sworn-in and have since resumed as provided in the PDP guidelines for 2020, section 3.4.
“However, with exception of Agaie, Magama, Munya, Agwara LGAs where elections did not hold and Shiroro LGA where the election held in 4 out of 15 wards.”
“We make this statement as the position of Members of the PDP with the full awareness that no amount of treachery, machinations and arm twisting will be allowed.”
In its own press conference, the other faction, the Niger state PDP Card Carrying Members said that none of the chairmen was inaugurated as insinuated by the other faction.
Addressing Journalists, Honorable Ndanusa Hassan said that the congresses were free fair and transparent and the results were transmitted to the collation centre and announced before the electoral officers left for Abuja stressing that none of the officers absconded with the results.
“That Sunday evening, precisely around 5 pm, all results were collected. And soon after the collections, the electoral officers decided to leave for Abuja so as to put finishing touches for onward transmission to the National Headquarters.
“It beats our imagination that Dr Shem Zabayi can go as low to say that the Chairmen were inaugurated who inaugurated them? Who is to inaugurate them? The answer to these questions is the elected Chairmen are to be inaugurated by the Caretaker Committee members and they have not been inaugurated.”
He accused the Zagbayi led group of trying to induce the electoral committee to swing the congress results in their favor which the electoral committee refused and went ahead to announce the result as it was collected.
