Crisis Rocks PDP In Zamfara State Over Suspension Of State Party Chairman, Col. Bala Mande

By Akinwale Kasali

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Zamfara State has worsened.

The Party in the State is in disarray and polarized following the suspension of its Chairman, Col Bala Mande (rtd).

The Suspension of Mande was approved and supported by nine out of the 14 Members of the State Working Committee of the Party at the instance of the Party Leader in the State, Barrister Mahdi Aliyu Gusau.

Announcing the Suspension of Mande in a statement, the State PDP Publicity Secretary, Alh Abba, said the suspension is for a period of one month, effective from Tuesday May 17th 2022.

It was alleged that the SWC accused the suspended Chairman of anti-parry activities.

The statement reads; “This is to inform the general public, and ardent members of our great party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), that the Executive Chairman of our party has been suspended for anti- party activities.

“This becomes necessary owing to the fact that the State Chairman has been conducting the affairs of the party without the involvement of the State Working Committee, and the Leader of the party in flagrant violation of the constitution of our party.

“This has become necessary to forestall the abuse of power and the derailment of the rules governing the running of the party. The suspension is for a period of 1 month, this is expedient to allow the Working Committee constitute a panel of inquiry into the allegation.”

The State working committee also accused Col. Mande of engaging in party transactions and official engagements without the consent of  the party leaders or the members of the State Working Committee.

The suspended Chairman is said to be collecting money from aspirants with fake promises of helping them to secure tickets for the respective positions they are vying for.

Other allegations leveled against him include revealing the Party’s secret to opposition and having his loyalty to APC government in the state, saying the suspended chairman is still serving the interest of the Zamfara State governor whom he served as Chief of Staff.

“In view of the foregoing, the Vice Chairman, Kaura Namoda Zone, Mallam Ali Namoda, will oversee the activities of the party for the period of his suspension. Therefore, the State Working Committee has inaugurated a panel of inquiry to investigate this allegation.

The members of the panel are as follows:

Ahmed Sani Kaura – Chaiman

Bala Zurmi – Member

Sanin Baba – Member

Abdulhadi Ahmed – Member

Suwaiba Bako – Member

Abul Mustapha – Member

Barr Ibrahim Jibril – Secretary.”

With the suspension of the Chairman, all documents signed by him within the period of the suspension have been declared invalid.

It may be recalled that the suspended Chairman was recently accused by a former Senator who represented Zamfara North at the Senate, Tijjani Yahaya Kaura, of collecting 70 million Naira, to sabotage Senator Sahabi Ya’u Kaura during the 2019 general elections.