Niger PDP crisis: Factional leader dares Saraki panel, refuses to step down

Tanko Beji, the factional leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger state, has refused to step down as recommended by the party’s reconciliation committee.

Yahaya Usman, Beji’s spokesperson, said the recommendation is unconstitutional and “unheard of”.

The committee headed by Bukola Saraki, former senate president, had asked the two factional leaders of the PDP in the state to step down for peace to reign.

The party has been embroiled in crisis following its botched state congress in 2020.

In a statement on Thursday, Beji said he cannot step down one year after buying the party’s nomination form for the chairmanship position.

The statement read: “The decision of the Saraki led reconciliation committee that the two contestants for the position of party chairmanship in Niger should ‘step down’ for no reason other than satisfying wishful interest is hereby rejected and if need be, might be tested in a court of law to strengthen the party constitution.

“The committee, which came on board one year after the two contestants — Bar Tanko Beji and Engineer Muktar Ahmed — have purchased and filled nomination forms, cannot ask persons who have purchased PDP forms to contest positions to step aside for no reason.

“The Tanko Beji faction finds such recommendations as inconceivable, unheard off and cannot stand commonsense nor logic.

“It is even worse when it was clear the target was to stop Bar Tanko Beji by all means. We stand by our position, and if we are to nominate 100 times, we will nominate Bar. Tanko Beji as our Candidate, again and again.”