Governor Aliyu accuses external forces of aggravating PDP crisis

Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger on Wednesday accused external forces of aggravating the current crisis in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), warning them to steer clear of the dispute.

The governor gave the warning when Maj.-Gen. Hussaini Salihu, the Commander of Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery, visited him in Minna.

“I am beginning to see a sign that some people don’t want reconciliation to take place through the type of articles they are planting in newspapers.

“We in the PDP have the capacity to resolve whatever differences we have; we must not allow people who are outside the party to get so enmeshed in the problem and destroy what we are trying to build.

“I need to draw your attention to this because I have been reading a lot of articles that they planted to create more animosity and anarchy that will make reconciliation difficult,’’ he said.

Aliyu, who is one of the “G7 governors’’ at the centre of the crisis, noted that the governors involved were matured enough to know when to hold on and when to let go.

He said that essence of the crisis was about democracy and morality, adding that morality meant that people must learn to keep any agreement they made, whether privately or publicly.

He said the crux of the struggle was to build a democratic culture in politicians to the extent that they would always keep their promises.

Aliyu commended the military for growing to become one of the most respected and educated professional groups in the country.

Earlier, Salihu commended the cordial relations existing between the military and civilians in the state.
He thanked the government for the support given to security agencies in the state.