Today, members of the executive council of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau state suspended their long standing Chairman, Mr Damishi Sango and his deputy -Mr Amos Gombi, on the basis of misappropriation of funds and high-handedness.

In a press release this morning, the EXCO detailed the misgivings of Hon Sango and his deputy Amos Gombi to including misappropriation of Presidential Campaign Funds, Fraud with regards monies collated for internally displaced individuals (IDPs) etc.

However, in a swift response, Hon. Damishi Sango has rebutted all t the allegations, claiming that their actions are null and void.

In a statement, Sango said

“We rose up this morning to the rude and toxic news that 16 members of the “State Executives” of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) passed a vote of no confidence against the party Chairman Hon Damishi Sango and the Deputy Chairman Hon Amos Gombi Goyol.

They released a statement stating that their action was motivated by so-called imminent issues arising from elections and party affairs.

Their claim that they took the action to save the party does not hold water because we see their action as a morbid attempt to divide the party and cause disaffection and confusion.

Or else, the State Executive Committee (SEC) is made up of 72 officers and how can 16 of them constitute the SEC to take such a serious action for a whole party?

Be that as it may, and for the avoidance of doubts, here are our responses to the issues they raised:

1. Suspension of Party Chairman and his Deputy. This is illegal as the 16 did not follow the constitutional requirements.

A. Resources sent to the state for the presidential elections: We state that this matter was appropriately reported to the State Campaign Council. The template was also discussed and approved by the Campaign Council. It was not to be reported to the party since it was the party that constituted the council.

In addition, the funds were not signed for and collected by the party Chairman and/or his Deputy as alleged. Rather, the funds were rightly signed for and collected for by a team led by the gubernatorial candidate, and this was disclosed in full to the State Campaign Council

B. Money for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): It is true that the Deputy Chairman was chairman of committee handling the IDP funds. Other members were Vice Chairman, Northern Senatorial Zone Hon. Chris Hassan, State Organising Secretary Yabuku Chocho, Chairmanship Candidate of Jos North LGA Hon Aminu Zang, Vice Chairman Central Zone, Hon. Benedict Shignuhul, and Assistant State Secretary of the party Hon Felix Penswang who was also the Secretary of the committee. The sum of N3.1m was realised from various contributors. The committee then made Hon Penswang as chairman of the subcommittee to buy the items. His members are the State Financial Secretary Mrs Mary Adar – gar and PDP Chairman of Jos North LGA Aminu Abdullah. The entire money was handed over to Hon Penswang who bought the materials and reported back to the main committee. But the materials were not distributed. As far as we are concerned what happened to the materials afterwards can best be explained by the chairman of the three-member committee Hon Pienswang who signed the letter suspending the State chair and deputy not the State deputy Chairman.

C. RETREAT FUNDS: We want to State that the money for the retreat amounting to N2.6m and other funds of the party were domiciled in Sterling Bank. However, these sums were garnished by a court order on all PDP accounts – national and state following a judgement against the national secretariat of the PDP.

This situation has been consistently reported at SEC and SWC meetings. The Chairman of the Retreat Committee, Hon Chris Hassan who is illegally being touted as the interim chairman of the party is very much in the know of these facts and cannot claim ignorance of same.

D. Arbitrary Substitution in Wase: The substitution was done based on the report of the Appeal Committee formed and sent by the national secretariat of the party. It was not a substitution made by the chairman, deputy or the State secretariat of the party. In any case, which election did PDP win in Wase, since the party lost the presidential, senatorial, House of Reps, gubernatorial and house of assembly elections in Wase?

2. Dissolution of State Campaign Council: For the avoidance of doubt, the SEC which set up the Campaign Council is made up of over 72 members. And 16 who signed the illegal suspension order cannot therefore form a quorum to dissolve the council. So, this is another illegality.

3. Drawing from the relevant portions of the PDP constitution, therefore, Hon Chris Hassan cannot take over the reins of the party. Chapter 10 of the PDP constitution 2017 as amended spells out specific disciplinary procedures against officers who are suspected of committing infractions against the party. The Chairman of the party who is also a NEC member.

In conclusion, we have come across very reliable information that the action of the 16 is being sponsored by a third force to cripple the very promising petitions at the elections tribunal. And we want to state here in clear terms that this action will fail woefully.

Signed

Hon. Damishi Sango – Chairman
Hon. Emmanuel Tuang – Secretary

(PDP Plateau State)

24th April 2019.

Cc:
1. National Chairman,
Peoples Democratic Party
Wadata Plaza
Plot 1970 Michael Okpara St. Wuse Zone 6

2. The Chairman, Board of Trustees, PDP

3. State Executve Committee,
C/O The State Secretary,
PDP Plateau State

4. The Inspector General of Police, Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House
Area 11, Garki

5. Commissioner of Police
Plateau State
JD Gomwalk Road Jos

6. The Director State Security
Department of Security Services, Plateau State Command

7. Senator Jeremiah Timbut Useni, PDP 2019 Gubernatorial Candidate, Plateau State.

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Suspension: D T Sango hits back, says he remains chairman