Gov Aliyu Still With G7 -‘New PDP’

The Alhaji Kawu Baraje led group has denied the reported resignation of the Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu from their faction.
Reacting to the purported resignation, the spokesman of the group, Chief Eze C. Eze in a statement described the story as “a tissue of lies” peddled around by the Alhaji Tukur led faction of the party.
He said, “it may interest you to note that the first thing we did this morning when we read the report was to contact H.E.Gov Babangida Aliyu of Niger State through our National Chairman, Alh. Abubakar Kawu Baraje and according to our Chairman, the Governor  vehemently denied and refuted such an absurd and false report and assured us that he would be the last person to leave the G7 Governors particularly now that our struggle to reposition PDP was about to yield the desired result.”
Chief Eze fingered the Tukur’s faction for orchestrating the reports, assuring that  ”we shall see to the logical end of the struggle not minding all the evil plots against us as a group.”
He stressed that “we are very selective of who becomes our member, this is to ensure that we have very patriotic Nigerians who are very desirous of building a new Nigeria envisaged by the founding fathers of our country particularly our great party and we are happy to note that Governor Aliyu of Niger State is one of those patriotic Nigerians who is ready to champion this struggle.”
So the idea of dumping the group is just the imagination of the deluded minds of our opponents,” he concluded.
Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State yesterday said he remained the leader of the G7 Governors contrary to reports that he had pulled out of the organisation.
The governor said this when leaders of the National Union of Civil Servants paid him a courtesy visit in Minna.
Aliyu said that he was shocked by the media speculations that he had quit the G7 PDP Governors.
He said the speculations gained ground owing to his absence from the meeting on health grounds.
Aliyu said during the meeting on October 27, three governors tendered apology on his behalf for his absence.
“ We are still discussing with President Goodluck Jonathan; this is not the time to pull out, as such, we must respect the President and the office of the President, “ he said.
He said those that were not satisfied with the decision could take their next line of action only after completing the discussion with the President.
“Dialogue, discussion and talks, this we must continue on daily basis; this is what is democracy is all about or else we will become a country of deaf and dumb.
“The whole essence of G7 is to ensure that there is democracy in the ruling party; if there is no democracy in it, there is no democracy in the whole country.
“ Babangida Aliyu is still a member of G7; what we are asking for is democracy, equity and justice and we will continue to ask for that even outside of the office,” Aliyu said.
Earlier, the union President, Alhaji Mohammed Shuaibu, said they were impressed by the governor’s performance and called for better attention to workers.

Cross section of participants, during the Breast Cancer awareness and medical sensitisation exercise, organised by Rivers State Government. Deputy Mayor of Port Harcourt, Nancy Stephen-Ijaopo (3rd right) who represented wife of the state governor, leads the train. Photo: Egberi A. Sampson