Tahir Tanko Debunks Factionalization of PDP in Kaduna.

I have been seriously taken aback for some days now by the recent insistence of a claim of the existence of three factions in the Peoples Democratic Party in Kaduna state by none other than Umar Sani De Cat, the erstwhile spokeman of Ex-Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo. 

It is rather unfortunate that this is coming from a former Presidential spokesman. The inability of a man of his calibre to discern the difference between ‘interests’ in politics and ‘factions' is worrisome and leaves much to be desired. Everyone knows that politics is all about interests, but that does not amount to factions. 

Let me remind Mr Sani that it is not an anathema for political interest groups to exist or be formed in a political party, group, association or union, most especially, when there is a common goal to be achieved. Likewise, it is not a crime for others in the minority to oppose the common interest of the majority.  

However, what would be detested is when the minority fail to concede to the acceptable principle of democracy which posit that, the minority should have its say but the majority should have its way. The essence of democracy is majority rule, the making of binding decisions by a vote of more than one-half of all persons who participate in a decision or an election. 

Therefore, I believe that this new gimmick is a frantic effort by the Ex-VP's former aide to bounce back to relevance in Kaduna after taking a dive into oblivion. 

To take us back memory lane, at the formative stage of the PDP in Kaduna state in 1998, there were four major interest groups namely, the Makarfi group which was the dominant one, the Prof. Ango Abdullahi group, of which De Cat belonged to, the late Nuhu Babajo group and that of Dalhatu Tafida that joined the party from the defunct All People's Party (APP). When the Makarfi group picked the governorship ticket of the party and went ahead to win the seat, the other blocs accepted their fate. The interests coalesced into a formidable party that continued to record success after success. That is sportsmanship. Nothing has changed even today. There will always be interests but not factions. 

What is perplexing is that, after the conduct of the widely accepted ward, local government area and state congresses of the party and the final crowning of these congresses with a successful and well celebrated national convention, De Cat and his co-travellers have failed to come to terms with their fait accompli. 

It is on record that the baseless allegations presented to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party and before different courts of record by him and his cohorts have been dismissed for lack of merit as well as being unsubstantiated. 

Since he claimed that the NWC took side for throwing out their unfounded allegations, is he alluding that the numerous courts they approached without a single victory also took side? 

I wish to state that, the existence of any faction in PDP in Kaduna state is only in the figment of his imaginations. 

It is pertinent for him and his likes who think they can hoodwink the public into believing the existence of any faction to know that they are coming too little, too late, on account of the fact that, the people of Kaduna state and Nigeria are already geared up to return PDP to Sir Kashim Ibrahim House and Aso Villa in 2023. Therefore, no amount of concocted falsehood, unholy fabrication or propaganda would unsettle their resolve. 

As at today, there is only one formidable and indivisible state executive committee under the able leadership of Felix Hassan Hyat, which transcends individual interests and is pursuing only the collective interest of majority of the people of the state, which is salvaging them from the ineptitude and rudderless APC government.

Tahir Tanko,

Former Special Assistant to the Governor of Kaduna State on Media and Publicity.