PDP Reacts To Fintiri’s Removal

 The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has reacted to the removal of the erstwhile Acting Governor of Adamawa State, Umar Fintiri.
The Nation reports that the party’s reaction was conveyed on Wednesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh. 

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh. Speaking in Abuja after the Federal High Court judgment which removed Fintiri and installed the erstwhile deputy governor, Bala Igilari as Adamawa State new governor, Metuh revealed that PDP would not appeal the court’s judgment.

The national secretary explained that the party took the decision because PDP was not joined in the court case and so there is no basis for the party to appeal the judgment. He said the party had already taken a closer look at Adamawa verdict before taken its decision not to appeal but rather decided on the following:

“The PDP is a law-abiding party and we have therefore advised our members to obey accordingly. As is being done in every legal matter, there is right of appeal. But in the meantime the PDP has enjoined our party members to obey the decision of the court.

“Secondly, the paramount thing for us is peace in Adamawa. And we enjoin the Executive Governor of Adamawa State that was sworn in today to pursue peace and progress of Adamawa State. The state has had its own fair share of political turmoil; the state has had its own fair share of challenges. We believe that the citizens of the state deserve peace and unity. 

“We urge our state chairman to ensure that PDP remains united as one body in Adamawa. And as a PDP member we can only say to the former Deputy Governor to continue to pursue the party’s programmes for the benefit of the people,” Metuh said. 

It would be recalled that earlier today Wednesday October 8, 2014, Bala Ngilari, the erstwhile Adamawa State deputy governor under impeached Governor Murtala Nyako, was sworn in as the state’s new governor after a Federal High Court ordered the removal of the erstwhile acting governor, Umar Fintiri.

The court’s verdict is believed to have turned the table around as Umar Fintiri had already emerged the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for the initial scheduled bye-election.

There has been political instability in Adamawa State since the former governor, Murtala Nyako, was removed from his office on July 15, 2014, by the state House of Assembly.


The Nation