Women leaders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), drawn from the six geopolitical zones, have condemned the threat issued to elected members of the party by a factional National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.
The women leaders described it as inflammatory.
Tukur had, at a press conference last Wednesday threatened elected members of the party that have declared support for the Abubakar Baraje-led ‘New PDP’ that they would lose their seats should they fail to retrace their steps.
The women, who gathered under the aegis of PDP Female Career Politicians, spoke through their leader, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, yesterday in Abuja, cautioning the chairman to control his emotion.
Ita-Giwa said,”When conflicts like this happen, people tend to make inflammatory statements.
“We have tremendous respect for our chairman but sometimes people say things when emotions run deep but that does not mean it is conclusive.
“Not that we are apologising for anybody but we intend to consult with our colleagues as well as our chairman and everybody.
“This is because we do not want anybody to do anything that will be counter-productive to the existence of this party and peace in Nigeria.
“We cannot afford that.
“We are all still part of the party, including those that walked out from the arena.
“If they wanted, would have said they were leaving the PDP.
“But they have not said that.
“Which means that the corporate existence of the party is still intact.
“We just have to make effort at sustaining it.”
Also, the women regretted that the crisis seemed to be taking ethnic coloration, wondering why majority of the people that had declared for the ‘New PDP’ were from the northern part of the country.
Ita-Giwa also said women were not consulted before the decision was taken to form a new faction.
She, therefore, said they had resolved to meet with Tukur and Baraje, to hear them out in the interest of the party.
Ita-Giwa said, “Not that we are saying it is ethnic-based, but if you look at those that walked out, it was six states from the North and one from the South.
“This is strange, which was why we felt it is taking on ethnic coloration.
“Also, women were excluded from that decision.
“No woman was consulted before that decision was taken.
“Notwithstanding, we are not passing judgment but we don’t want to run a Northern party and a Southern party.
“All we want is for everybody to come back together for us to have peace in this country.
“We are not taking sides and we are surely going to talk to all of them to douse the flame as best as we can.
“However. we do not want to be seen as succumbing to intimidation.”
On the 2015 general elections, she posited that the race should be thrown open to all qualified members of the party, saying that it would be immodest on the part of the leadership of the party to attempt to disenfranchise anybody.
Ita-Giwa spoke further, “however, it is our opinion that it is immodest for someone to ask another human being not to contest elections or to attempt disenfranchisement of another human being.
“If anything, why not let anyone interested contest and then lose.
“It is pertinent though that while we lay claims to neutrality in this intra-party dispute, our loyalty to and confidence in the persons and office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria remains unshaken.
“As a large party, we recognize that political dissension is inevitable from time to time.
“However, such disagreement should never be allowed to fester to the point where positions are taken that threaten the existence of the party.
“We believe that the PDP is big enough to accommodate all shades of opinion without bursting at the seams.
“It is against this backdrop that we appeal to the contending forces currently pulling the party apart, to sheath their swords, step back from the precepts and take a deep breath as they reflect on the disastrous implications of their actions.”
Other members of the group, which included past and present legislators, were: Mercy Almona Isei, Remi Adiukwu Bakare, Kemi Adewunmi, Patience Ogodo, Aduke Minna, Abiodun Olujimi, Senator Khairat Gwadebe, Grace Bent, Theodora Giwa-Amu, Folake Olunloyo-Osinowo and Amina Khadi.
Also in attendance were Iquo Inyang, Oyibo Ahaneku-Nwaneri, Azumi Bebeji, Lynda Ikpeazu, Doris Uboh-Ogunkoya, Ukachi Amaechi, Elizabeth Ogbaga, Janet Adeyemi, Oluchi Okoye, Lola Edewor, Fatima Raji Rasaki, Olanrewaju Otiti, Fendo Mohammed and May Inije.