Northern Forum of Former State Chairmen on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has taken a swipe at the PDP governors over attacked on the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
Berating the governors for their attack, the Forum noted that the allegations against Emefiele were not substantiated, adding that the governors were not doing enough to tackle the party’s numerous problems, but have time to meddle on issues that have nothing to do with them.
Recall that the PDP governors had accused Emefiele of spending billions on his Presidential campaign.
Addressing newsmen at a press conference in Abuja, the Coordinator of the Forum, Alhaji Adamu Musa asked the PDP governors to stop attacking a man, who is not in the presidential race yet and concentrate on the internal problems of the party.
Musa said: “A man cannot be chasing rats while his house burns. Mr. Emefiele has not declared to run for the office of President. So we do not understand the fixation our governors have where the man is.
“The position of the youths and elders of our great party is that our governors should channel the energy they are dissipating on Mr. Emefiele, who has not even declared any political ambition to solving the problems threatening the very existence of our party.
“We are by his medium urging our governors to face our internal problems headlong and stop attacking a man who is not in the presidential race yet.
“Their action, to us, is like being busy chasing shadow while internal crisis is threatening to tear our party apart. It is politically childish to be busy attacking a man who is not yet in presidential race while our house is on fire. The current horse-trading among them on the planned zoning of the Presidency which is capable of tearing the party apart is enough headache for them and the party.
“Have our governors not seen that we are about to discountenance the provisions of our Party’s constitution by the current attempt to jettison zoning? Have our governors not seen the fact that the overbearing nature and attitude of some of them has driven eminent members out of the party? Have they not also seen that our Party is failing in its job to provide virile and coordinated opposition to the ruling party?
“We are therefore stating it clearly without mincing words that the governors’ unfortunate vituperations do not represent the position of the generality of the party on this matter.”
Umar Yusuf, one of the youth leaders from Nasarawa State, who also spoke, asked the governors to concentrate, adding that a united PDP stands a good chance against any candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Prince Chibuike Afulike, another youth leader from Abia State, lampooned the party’s governors for chasing shadows while internal crisis is brewing in the Party.
He opined that the governors attempting to form a cabal in the Party will only end up polarizing the party more than it is now, adding that the governors needed to close ranks to give the party a direction.
“Leaving our party’s internal crisis to continue brewing to chase shadows is the best recipe for PDP to lose the next election. Our governors must not be fixated and scared about Emefiele joining the race because even if he is the candidate we cannot compete if our party is this divided,” he said.
