The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has set up a fact-finding committee on the role played by some of its members at the election of the presiding officers of the National Assembly.
The terms of reference of the committee are:
To find out why some of our Honorable members and senators-elect then, failed to abide by the decision of the party during the National Assembly leadership election;
To find out whether there is any involvement of the ruling Party in the decision taken by the members involved;
Where there are established reasons for taking the action by members, the committee should identify such so that the party can create mutual and political atmosphere for reasonable interaction with Senators and Honourable members;
To find out and recommend ways to checkmate such tendencies in the future and ensure that, moving forward, all members work together to defend the interest of the party at all times and circumstances.
The committee has three weeks from the date of its inauguration to report to the NWC.
The Committee has former President of the Senate, Senator Adolphus Wabara as Chairman while former National Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Wale Oladipo, will serve as Secretary.
Other members of the committee include; Senator Ibrahim Mantu, Senator Stella Omu, Hon Austin Opara, Senator Abdul Ningi, Hon (Mrs) Margaret Icheen, among others.
In another development, the party has said the comments by Army Chief, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, blaming troops for the string of losses being suffered in the hands of insurgent group, Boko Haram as defeatist and confirming the position of the opposition party and millions of Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari failed in his duties as a Commander-In-Chief.
But the Army Chief has denied the comments credited to him by the medis. He spoke at a joint press conference with the Borno State governor, Babagana Umara, after he visited the governor.
“I have never said in my remarks that the troops lack commitment to fight…. It was completely wrong and I want to say it is somehow quoted out of context probably with some elements of mischief. If you carefully read my remarks, just as it was well published on our Army website you will see that there was nothing like me there was saying lack of commitment.
“Some journalists have even gone beyond that by saying that I said troops are cowards. This is far from the truth and it is unfortunate the way some journalists and newspaper houses will go to the extent of distorting fact.”
He adds, “We felt there was the need for us to do better on what is currently happening in the northeast,” he added
The denial, notwithstanding, the National Working Committee of the party, in a statement said that the blame must be placed at the doorsteps of the President, who was under oath as the Commander-in- Chief, to ensure the security of lives and property, but had failed even in his own promise to lead from the front.
The statement adds: “Mr. President, as chief security officer of the nation, should not hide under an Army Chief to push blames when he had failed to take appropriate steps to secure the nation and refused to heed wise counsel by well-meaning Nigerians to reorder his parade and rejig the nation’s security architecture for effectiveness.
“Instead, the Buhari Presidency had carried on with endless lip service, empty assurances, unnecessary blame game and obvious lack of tact, while the nation is being ravaged.
“There is no doubt that despite the cluelessness of the Buhari Presidency, our fighting troops have remained gallant, patriotic, making sacrifices and risking their lives in defending the country.
“One would expect that under the prevailing situation, a commander-in-chief should have risen up to the occasion, step up actions, resolve the issues and ensure that all efforts are galvanized to provide all necessary requirements for our troops combating insurgency and other acts of violence against our nation.
“The PDP therefore urges the military and our gallant fighting troops not to relent at this critical time, noting that Nigerians seriously appreciate the sacrifices they make in securing our dear nation.
“The party also calls on the National Assembly to save the situation by immediately using its legislative instruments to wade into the situation in the interest of the nation”.