There is another ‘fire on the mountain’ for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a group which goes by the name “Fresh PDP” on Wednesday claimed that it had become the new leadership of the leading opposition party, backing it up by opening a secretariat in Abuja.
Addressing a press conference under the aegis of the Concerned Candidates and Stakeholders of PDP, at a venue in Asokoro which it says is its national secretariat, the group lamented the conduct of the December 9 national convention of the PDP, saying that the process that produced the leadership of Prince Uche Secondus was fraught with illegalities.
Director General of the group, Emmanuel Nwosu, who read a prepared text, said: “You are all aware that we held our national convention on the 9th and 10th of December 2017 at the Eagle Square in Abuja. It was supposed to be an elective convention where a new NWC of the party will be elected.
“Most tragically, there was no election on that day but a selection of predetermined persons who were eventually announced as the new NWC members.
“As concerned candidates and stakeholders of our great party, we deem this perfidy that took place at Eagles Square, a charade orchestrated by the former National Caretaker Committee of our great party led by the former governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi and perfected by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led National Convention Planning Committee.”
The group accused the Makarfi-led committee of deliberate refusal “to release the delegates list as was agreed upon by all aspirants until barely 24 hours to the convention which is contrary to our party constitution. This is a complete aberration as it made it impossible for aspirants to cross-check the authenticity of the list and also have some time to interact with the delegates before the date of the convention.”
The group further said: “The entire process of selecting the purported NWC was concluded days before the convention and a list of those selected was published; which eventually was circulated at the Eagle square long before voting commenced.”
It added that it had evidence that to show that “some names in the fraudulent Unity List collected nomination forms after the official closing date and some others were not even screened as required by the electoral guidelines.”
It, therefore, called on members of the party to cease forthwith, any correspondence with the “Illegal NWC selected through the most undemocratic way ever witnessed in the history of our party.”
The group was confident that it would win the 2019 general election informing that it would soon inaugurate an ‘authentic’ National Working Committee to steer the ship of the party.
Also present at the briefing were Godwin Chinedu Duru, a National Organizing Secretary candidate in the December 9 convention, Franklyn Edede (candidate for the Office of the National Youth Leader) candidate and Chief Olukayode Akindele, Deputy Director General of the Professor Tunde Adeniran Campaign Organisation, among others.
Credit: tribuneonlineng.com
