Tongues are wagging over a forged list of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) purported to be that of Cross River State’s new ward and local government executive committee of the party.
The controversial list has generated tension in the party, especially as the National Working Committee (NWC) and some top party leaders in the state are alleged to be at daggers-drawn, leading to litigations.
The PDP had on March 7 and 21, 2020, conducted congresses in the state to elect new executives that would steer the affairs of the party for the next four years.
But while Governor Ben Ayade of the state and some top leaders of the party compiled their own list of executive committee members, the PDP NWC on April 26, 2020 rejected the governor’s list and sent a 217-page document to the state chapter of the party containing a list of the new ward and local government committees.
Daily Trust gathered that a letter was also sent to Governor Ayade and other top party men in the state to comply with the directives in the document.
However, a letter dated May 1, 2020 addressed to the PDP National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus signed by the Chairman and Secretary of Ward 3, in Calabar Municipal Local Government, Mr Peter Ika and Mr Nsa Ekpo, announced the suspension of the state chairman of the party, Ntufam Edim Inok Edim, who is also from Ward 3, for an initial period of one month.
They alleged that Edim was suspended for labelling the NWC as “demons” and “criminals” and accusing the NWC of “receiving a bribe of N150 million” to prepare the list.
The letter read in part: “He declared that he will not carry out the directives of the NWC as contained in the letter of April 26, 2020, but went ahead to inaugurate his own acclaimed ward and local government executives from Obanliku to Bakassi LGA in the state.
“His conduct runs contrary to Chapter 10, Section 58 (1), b, c and h of the PDP Constitution.”
However, a credible source told Daily Trust that a ‘cabal’ within the party was responsible for the forged document in the state, adding that the battle was about 2023.
He said, “A cabal in the party produced a fake list as part of their strategies to form a solid foundation and structure that is unbeatable in the build-up to the 2023 general elections.”
“The governor was said to have mismanaged his opportunities, and that created the current situation on ground. But what baffles me most is that congresses were held to produce new executives so why the controversies? he also queried.
But the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, told Daily Trust yesterday over the phone that the allegation of bribery against the NWC was false.
He also dispelled claims that there was a cabal within the party perpetrating “evil.”
He said, “It is internal politics in Cross River State. The NWC is not involved. But we are resolving it internally.”
The PDP National Organising Secretary, Col. Austine Akobundu, speaking over the phone, however, said, “It is a subject of litigations already, so I don’t want to talk more on that.”
“There are court cases, so I don’t want to further comment on that. The statement I issued suffices,” he insisted.
Col. Akobundu had earlier issued a statement dismissing a list of Cross River executives trending on social media as forged and urged party leaders and members to only recognise the list sent to the state by the NWC on April 26, 2020.
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