A former governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, has been suspended from the People’s Democratic Party in Chanchaga local Area of the state.
This decision, according to a communique issued at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting in Minna, was as a result of six “weighty allegations”, which the party in his local government finds very disturbing and inimical to the party progress.
The allegations against the former governor are causing disaffection within the party hierarchy even after several peace efforts, anti-party activities leading to cracks in the party since 2014 that led to the loss of government at the center and the state levels.
The party officials also cited disobedience to the then President Goodluck Jonathan and working against his election success in 2015.
Other allegations are funding of opposition APC in 2015 to defeat his own party for personal and selfish reasons, refusal to participate and attend party activities, undermining and working against the resolutions of party organs especially the state caucus, among others.
The meeting was attended by eight ward chairmen of the party out of ten in the LGA, elders and party faithful from the LGA.
Reacting, the former governor’s spokesman, Bala Bitrus, said the suspension was laughable, adding that the state PDP does not have an executive in place to approve such suspension.
According to him, the meeting was illegal.
“If they have any grievances against such a top ranking party member, they should have channelled it to the reconciliation committee.
“One of the issues they raised was working against Jonathan’s re-election in 2015. Why then is the matter coming up today if it is actually true?
“And again, the so-called party members are fictitious. It is, therefore, laughable, childish and wishful.”
He added that Mr Aliyu is a member of the PDP NEC committee who is respected by the party for his contribution to its success.
