Date: 2013-11-12

The crisis afflicting the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got messier this evening as Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, who leads the faction known as New PDP, resigned as Chairman of the Nigeria Railway Corporation Governing Board with immediate effect.

Baraje’s letter of resignation made it clear that he was qutiing because of the PDP crisis. Only yesterday, Baraje and three other New PDP chieftains, namely, Dr. Sam Jaja, Prince Olasgunsoye Oyinlola and Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure, were suspended by PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamaga Tukur.

New PDP had promptly declared the suspension barbaric, unacceptable and the biggest joke of the year. Contacted by News Express, New PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, confirmed Baraje’s resignation as NRC Chairman and said he would soon issue a statement to that effect.

Baraje’s letter of resignation sighted by News Express was entitled a “Letter of Gratitude and Resignation of Appointment as Chairman, Nigeria Railway Corporation Governing Board” and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.

The letter personally signed by Alhaji Baraje said:

“ ‘I hasten to express my sincere gratitude to His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, through your good office for the confidence he placed in my ability to have appointed me to such an exalted position as Chairman, Nigeria Railway Corporation.

“ ‘His Excellency, Mr. President, will recall that this appointment came from his discretion in allotting some positions to our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). However, it is no longer news that there is an ongoing disagreement in principle between some top stakeholders of our party of which I am among on the one hand and the current leadership of the party on the other. This quagmire has upturned my belief in the present leadership of our great party and has consequently made my continued stay as the Chairman, Nigeria Railway Corporation Governing Board uncomfortable.

“ ‘Realizing that the position of the Nigeria Railway Corporation Chairmanship was allocated to the party and of which I am supposed to symbolize, I would appreciate if your good office could please convey to His Excellency, Mr. President, of my intention to relinquish this position with immediate effect because I can no longer represent the interest of the party whose leadership I no longer believe in.’ ”