The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis in Taraba State took a new turn on Wednesday when the state chapter rejected a 16-person caretaker committee that a group inside the party’s National Caretaker Working Committee had proposed.
With both sides claiming constitutional legitimacy, the development has further revealed the growing fissures in the party’s structure in the state.
The caretaker committee to manage the party’s operations in Taraba State was purportedly unveiled on Tuesday by a group of the party, allegedly led by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike.
For the first thirty days or until a new executive committee is elected, the panel, led by Victor Falack, was tasked with piloting the party’s operations.
The group claims that the decision was made in accordance with the party’s constitution and was intended to stabilize the party’s statewide organization.
The organization insisted that the action was required to guarantee adherence to constitutional principles and bring peace back to the party’s ranks.
However, the announcement was quickly rejected as a nullity by the PDP’s acknowledged Taraba State leadership.
According to a statement issued by Herbert Faith Bello, the party’s Media and Publicity Officer in the state, the chapter called the alleged caretaker committee “false, misleading, and unauthorised.”
The announcement came from “an unrecognized body with no constitutional standing within the Party,” according to the statement.
The move’s perpetrators were also charged with trying to sow doubt and needless strife among the state’s party members.
Under the direction of Comrade Chief Obidah Bitrus, the Acting Chairman, the PDP in Taraba is still legally formed, the state chapter reaffirmed its authority.
The statement emphasized that the party’s constitution and internal democratic ideals are being upheld by the current leadership structure, which is still in place.
According to the statement, “Party members and the general public have been advised to disregard the caretaker committee announcement in its entirety as it does not reflect the position of the recognized state leadership or any authentic organ of the party.”
