Plateau PDP suspends party chairman and his deputy over alleged mismanagement of funds

The need to suspend the Chairman and his deputy was reached on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, was concluded in a resolution signed by 16 executive members of the party.

According to the party, the funds were meant for the just concluded presidential elections and party affair as well as money raised to help internally displaced persons.

The party in its resolution said “That the resources sent to the state for the presidential elections were not accounted for by the chairman, aided by the deputy chairman, concealed the amount sent by the presidential campaign committee and created a fraudulent unseen template used as a ‘sharing formula’ unknown to the state party structure and up till date no disclosure has been made by the chairman and/or the deputy chairman.

“The sums of money raised and saved by the party to help internally displaced persons (IDP’s) relieve their pains, were also not accounted for up till this moment. No mention has been made of the stated funds.

“It is worthy to note that the deputy chairman is the chairman committee on IDPs for the party,”

However, the party chairman, Sango has reacted to his suspension saying the resolution is unconstitutional and unacceptable.

He said neither he nor the deputy was confronted with any allegation, adding that the party didn’t even give them any opportunity to defend themselves.

“I was not invited to the meeting of the executives, even as the chairman nor the deputy and there was no time that I was accused of mismanaging any funds which I was asked to defend.

“What is happening is a coup and some people are dancing to the tune of unseen hands that are bent on destroying the party.”

Sango in a statement jointly signed by the party’s Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Tuang and made available to Journalists in Jos on Wednesday night said his suspension cannot stand, Punch reports.

He said, “My suspension as Party Chairman and my Deputy is illegal as the 16 executive Council members did not follow the constitutional requirements.

“Their claim that they took the action to save the party does not hold waters 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?

“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.

“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.”

Following Sango’s suspension, a zonal chairman of the party, Mr. Chris Hassan was immediately asked by the party executive to take over the affairs of the party as State Chairman.