PDP confirms Adamu Mu’azu as Chairman

The National Executive Committee, NEC, of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has approved the election of a former governor of Bauchi State, Adamu Mu’azu, as the new chairman of the party pending the election of a new chairman.


The Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, who presided over the election of Mr. Mu’azu, quoted section 47 (6) of the party’s constitution which empowers the NEC to elect a new official to fill vacancy created by the resignation of an elected official.

The motion for the nomination of Mr. Mu’azu was moved by the Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, and was seconded by Senate Leader, Ndoma Egba.

The new chairman was immediately sworn in.

Mr. Mu’azu, a two-term governor of Bauchi State (1999-2007), is accused and being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of misappropriating N19.8 billion of public funds while he was governor.

Before emerging PDP chairman, he was appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan in November 2013 to chair the board of the Pension Commission, PENCOM; an appointment that was criticised by anti-corruption groups including the Transition Monitoring Group, TMG.

The TMG protested the appointment, saying it was morally wrong for the president to appoint a man being tried for corruption to such a high office.

Mr. Jonathan and the National Assembly disregarded that position and proceeded to clear the former governor for the position.

The TMG’s statement at the time reads in part, “The Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, is astonished and peeved by this move of the President, especially in the light of the fact that the former Governor is yet to be cleared by the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of the corruption charges he is facing for allegedly defrauding the coffers of Bauchi State to the tune of N19.8billion when he was Governor of the State,” the group said in a statement on Monday.

“This and other similar acts of Mr. President, particularly his penchant for surrounding himself with famed corrupt individuals, makes his government’s so-called anti-corruption efforts a laughing stock, for it is patently obvious from his antecedents that President Jonathan endorses corruption.

“The EFCC is investigating Mr. Mu’azu for allegedly stealing billions of naira belonging to Bauchi State during his term as governor between 1999 and 2007.Other names forwarded to the Senate for confirmation as Commissioners of PENCOM include Chinelo Anohu-Amazu (South East), Reuben Omotowa (North Central), Mohammed Ka’oje (North West), and Adesojo Olaoba-Efuntayo (South West).But the group said that appointing Mr. Mu’azu to head the commission is in line with his practice of shielding corrupt individuals.

“TMG recalls that in the heat of the corruption charges against the same Mu’azu Adamu, President Jonathan appointed him in 2011 as Chairman of the Board of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA),” said the statement signed by Ibrahim Zikirullahi and Eddy Ezurike, the group’s Chairman and Publicity Secretary respectively.