Posted by By Jacob Edi, Abuja on
The North East zone of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] Friday, condemned Vice President Atiku Abubakar over statements credited to him at a meeting of anti-third term politicians.
The North East zone of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] Friday, condemned Vice President Atiku Abubakar over statements credited to him at a meeting of anti-third term politicians.
This is coming on the heels of a qualified endorsement of tenure elongation by the Canadian government.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, National Vice Chairman of the zone, Senator Paul Wampana, made a veiled reference to the effect that the Vice President will be expelled from the party.
"We have the capacity and the will to deal decisively with this issue and so shall we do until it becomes abundantly clear to all our people that he [Atiku] has no space in our party and even less in our political life and obviously not a worthy representative of our highly disciplined people," said Senator Wampana.
The North East PDP also berated Vice President Atiku and accused him of cowardice, treachery and mischief.
"We are all collectively tired of the Vice President's penchant for mischief-making, treachery and disloyalty to Mr. President, the federal government which he serves and the party to which he belongs," Wampana added.
While saying the VP ought to have resigned if he held such views as was credited to him at the meeting on Wednesday in Abuja, Senator Wampana said the VP's conduct is "totally unacceptable and unbecoming."
According to Wampana, the VP is aware that constitutional amendment is at the domain of the National Assembly and not President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Commenting at the press conference, another PDP leader in the North East, General Buba Marwa, denied he ever categorically declared to run for presidency. According to him, as a loyal party man, he will not make such declaration when the party is yet to lift ban on campaigns or even release guidelines for political activities towards 2007 elections.
Although he refuse to say emphatically whether he will still run for presidency, he said "if it is my destiny to be President, nothing can stop me and if not, nobody can put me there."
In what seems a tacit endorsement of third term, the Canadian government said it would support tenure elongation if it is the outcome of a due process.
Canada's position was announced by its High Commissioner, Mr. David Angell, while speaking as a guest lecturer at the inaugural lecture organized by the Commonwealth Society of Nigeria (CSN) at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos. He said Canada would only support a constitutional solution to the rumoured planned tenure extension if consitutional procedure was followed.
The Canadian envoy tasked both proponents and opponents of 3rd term to employ the due process to resolve the controversy.
Said he: "Mr. President (Obasanjo) has said repeatedly that he would pursue this issue within the constitution, and that commitment is enough for us.
"Our duty is mainly to support good governance and focus on our commitments to ensure total health for us all in this part of the world."