“ WHY WE WENT TO COURT” ... PDP LITIGANTS OPEN UP TO DICKSON’S COMMITTEE

Three members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who recently withdrew their suit seeking to stop the party’s national convention have revealed that, they went to court to strengthen the party.They made this revealation at a meeting with the Governor Henry Seriake Dickson-led national reconciliation committee in Abuja.

 The litigants- Barrister Bashir Maidugu, Alhaji Yahaya Sule, and Abba Yale, explained that, things had taken a dangerous turn in the party, and they felt only the courts could check the trend, stressing that, even the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised that there were problems within the PDP.

Barrister Maidugu, who spoke on behalf of the litigants, further disclosed that it took four days of frank negotiations with the Dickson’s Reconciliation Committee to "arrive at where we are."“Having extracted firm commitments from the committee to right the wrongs in the party, we were left with no option than to withdraw our suit” he remarked. 

"We are here to assure Nigerians that we have collectively, without any prodding, withdrawn our suit.We agreed that it is not good to set PDP on fire. No need to overheat the party. Since the committee has agreed to address our grievances, there is no need to continue in court," he empasised.

Barrister Maidugu thanked Governor Dickson for leading the negotiations with "frankness", noting that, the PDP remains "the only democratic party where members can drag the party to court and get justice, where the party will feel concerned and reach out to know our grievances."

Responding, Governor Dickson thanked the litigants for "truly showing that they are good party men and patriotic Nigerians." He was full of satisfaction that, the men  voluntarily withdrew their suit. "this is the spirit we want to see in every member of our party, to subsume your personal interests in the generality because collective interest is more important than individual interest"

Governor Dickson urged PDP members to emulate the litigants and learn to subsume their interests with a firm a promised that the experience would form part of the committee's recommendations to the party. "We believe that the court will do what is right."Present at the ceremony were the committee’s Secretary, Ambassador Umar Damagum, former House Leader, Hon. Mohammed Wakil and Dr. Akilu Indabawa, among others. 

Governor Dickson, who later shared his thoughts with reporters, commended the 3 for the confidence reposed in the Committee and loyalty to the party, adding that, they have by this singular action, proved that they are principled and believe in the unity and progress of the PDP. The Bayelsa State Governor, who used the opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to ensuring that a thorough job is done off the assignment, also renewed his call on other aggrieved party members to tow the line of dialogue by emulating the 3 litigants.

 Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State 
31/07/2013