New PDP faction emerges

A splinter group yesterday emerged from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with the opening of its parallel national secretariat in Abuja.     

The PDP, however, described the new faction as comical, saying it’s the handiwork of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), which is jittery over its elective convention that ended the year-long crisis in the party.

The new splinter group which opened its new office in Asokoro, Abuja, was led by one Emmanuel Obi-Nwosu, and comprising of mostly PDP members who contested and lost elections during the December 9 convention.

In a news conference, the group said the convention that produced Prince Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee (NWC) was a “charade.” 

Those who signed the statement are Obi-Nwosu, a member of the PDP convention planning committee, Prince Emmanuel Butches, deputy director-general of Prof. Tunde Adeniran Campaign Organisation; and Chief Olukayode Akindele; a contender for the office of National Organising Secretary.

Others are Chief Godwin Chinedu Duru; an aspirant for the office of National Youth Leader; Comrade Franklyn Edede, and Alhaji Hassan Adamu. 

Despite the absence of some key figures of the party who contested and lost elections at the convention, the group’s elaborate media coverage and spacious office heightened suspicion that some powerful forces were behind them.

Obi-Nwosu said the process of selecting the “purported NWC” during the PDP convention was concluded days before the convention. 

He said the names of the “authentic NWC” of the PDP would be announced early January 2018, when political activities would have kicked-off fully. 

“We reject in its entirety the selected NWC list and we call on INEC and all other relevant authorities to disregard the purported election of the NWC because they weren’t elected in line with the provisions of our party’s constitution and in accordance with the electoral guidelines for the convention.

“As committed and dedicated candidates and party stakeholders, we have decided to ensure that internal democracy is sustained in the party and that the dreams of our founding fathers who laboured and sacrificed so much to build the party are not destroyed.

“To this effect, we have officially opened a national secretariat of the party here in Asokoro, Abuja, from where the authentic NWC of the party will be operating. 

“Today, the PDP that Nigerians have yearned for is born. We hereby declare that the era of impunity, imposition, and manipulation of our party’s internal election process is dead and buried,” he said.

‘Southeast APC chieftain behind us’

A source close to the splinter group alleged that a leading APC member from the southeast was the one who sponsored them.

“We have the backing of a prominent APC leader in the southeast; he assured that they would fund us effectively,” he said.

But this claim could not be authenticated at press time because the spokesperson of the APC Bolaji Abdullahi could not be reached.

A former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Barr. Abdullahi, told Daily Trust in a telephone interview last night that ‎the move for a “Fresh PDP” was expected. He, however, refused to mention names.

A former national officer of the PDP said what transpired yesterday was “a time bomb” that might consume the party just like what transpired in 2013 when some governors and other prominent members defected to APC because of impunity.

Already, a contender for the chairmanship of the party and ex-minister of sports and special duties, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, had also filed a suit at a Federal High Court in Abuja challenging the election.

Count me out of it 

– Adeniran

Prof. Adeniran also yesterday distanced himself from the group, despite the fact that one of his campaign coordinators was there.

The media director of his campaign, Taiwo Akeju, said last night by telephone that anybody who had genuine grievances was free to express them but cautioned that it should not be linked to him.

He said Akindele’s presence at the event should not be misconstrued to be Adeniran’s.  

He said Adeniran had submitted himself to the internal dispute resolution mechanism of the party and the Governor Seriake Dickson-led post-convention reconciliation panel.

“It has no connection with our principal. Whoever went there did that at the level of his individual capacity,” he said.  

Arrest splinter group 

– Governors forum 

The Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State yesterday said that those who identified themselves as Fresh PDP should be arrested, prosecuted and jailed for allegedly disrupting the peace of the nation

He said this when he hosted Secondus and other NWC members of the party at an election rally coming up in Ado Ekiti today ahead of local government elections in the state.

“We are not distracted by elements of distractions, we are focused we know the enemies are at work, we know several things have been going on with some wanting to prevent our convention. But since we have had a peaceful convention they are not happy. We know these people, even those from outside and we will name them when the time comes,” Fayose said in a statement by his spokesperson, Idowu Adelusi.

They are APC agents, PDP says

The spokesperson of the PDP Kola Ologbondiyan said the party was not perturbed by the emergence of the new group. 

“The PDP is completely unperturbed by the comical act of some individuals who make outlandish claims in the media regarding our party.

“The fact is that we are happy with the efforts of the Governor Seriake Dickson-led Reconciliation Committee as well as the responses from all the respectable and responsible leaders of our party in that regard,” he said.

“We will, however, not be responsible or respond to any person or group of individuals who decide to allow themselves to be used by forces from another political party in a laughable and childish attempt to distract us.

“The PDP under the Prince Uche Secondus-led national leadership will continue to focus on repositioning our great party to be the formidable opposition that will guarantee checks and balances in our polity and ultimately regain power in 2019,” he said.