Efforts to reconcile warring leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have collapsed.
Twenty four hours after seven National Working Committee (NWC) members resigned, accusing National Chairman Uche Secondus of inept leadership, the party leader fought back yesterday.
He accused an unnamed leader as the mastermind of the revolt against him.
Secondus said the “desperado”, is deploying a large “quantum of public funds” to generate rebellion against him with the intention of “hijacking the structure of the party for his disproportionately large ambition”.
He said the “strong” party chieftain is scheming to install a caretaker committee that will be doing his biding.
Senator Seriake Dickson, a former Bayelsa State governor visited the PDP national chairman yesterday and condemned any move to foist a caretaker committee on the party.
Some prominent leaders of the party also yesterday gave their backing to Secondus amid indication that four other national officers were planning to quit their offices.
Those speculated to be contemplating resignation are: Deputy national chairman Sulaiman Nazif, National Secretary Uman Tsauri, National Auditor Mai Adamu Mustapha and Financial Secretary Mai Basira.
It was learnt that a former National Caretaker Chairman, ex-Governor Ahmed Makarfi, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, ex-Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, ex-Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu and seven governors are pulling the strings for Secondus.
A statement by Secondus’ Media Adviser, Ike Abonyi, said: “The media office of the National Chairman is privy to an intelligence that the strong party chieftain bent on hijacking the party structure for destruction. He is still on the loose with the main agenda of denting the image of Prince Uche Secondus the National Chairman.
“Answers to the above posers will help members of the public to decipher the recent disquiet in the PDP, and why a few months to National Convention of the party, somebody is routing for a Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the party.
“Reports reaching this office shows clearly that this character is deploying all devious means to try and diminish the person and character of the National Chairman with a view to having his way of ultimately hijacking the structure for his disproportionately large ambition.
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“We therefore, wish to alert the general public, particularly media houses and party stakeholders to look out for strange deployment of luring gifts from this destructive ‘Father Christmas’ all aimed at having a grip on the soul of our party by having a caretaker Committee.
“What continues to shock many party observers is the real reason behind the desperation of this man to get at the National Chairman and the quantum of public funds being expended to achieve this illicit goal few months to the National Convention.
“Few months to National Convention, anybody who meant well for this party and who is a true democrat, should respect the constitution of the party and approach issues dispassionately.
“Prince Secondus, through the media office however wishes to assure all critical stakeholders of our great party that every reasonable step is being taken to ensure that the image and status of the party is not injured by all these needless noise and schemings by desperadoes”