Things are still not looking good for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite ongoing efforts by stakeholders to resolve the crisis threatening the cohesion of the party.
There are indications that more members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP may resign from their positions next week should the reconciliation moves fail.
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Seven members of the NWC had resigned earlier this week over alleged marginalization in the running of the affairs of the party, although one immediately withdrew his resignation.
The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP is billed to meet the party’s Governors’ Forum on Monday in a fresh move to save the party from going under.
The meeting, according to informed sources, will determine the fate of embattled National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, who some influential forces want to resign.
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Also scheduled to meet with the BoT are other organs of the party, including the two factions within the NWC.
The meetings are coming on the heels of Thursday’s meeting to speed up the assignment given to the committee set up by the BoT to resolve the crisis.
Those who resigned are the Deputy National Financial Secretary, Gerald Irona; Deputy National Organising Secretary, Hassan Yakubu; Deputy National Legal Adviser, Ahmed Liman, and Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Diran Odeyemi. Others are the Deputy National Woman Leader, Hadizat Umoru; Deputy National Auditor, Divine Arong, and another official who could not be identified at the time of this report.
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Odeyemi has since withdrawn his resignation letter.
The Hotmedia.ng gathered that the Thursday meeting failed to resolve the thorny issues at the centre of the crisis.
One of the sources said:“The main gladiators, who were at the meeting, left nobody in doubt that they were prepared for a very long battle.
“It became very obvious that the issues were more personal than party issues. And with none of the parties willing to shift ground, it was agreed that a committee be set up to work out a solution. It was also agreed that a stakeholders’ meeting would be called to address some of the issues raised.”
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Sources said no fewer than eight other officials of the NWC are set to quit their current positions to pile more pressure on Secondus to resign.
Two of the eight NWC members said to be planning to quit are from the Southwest zone.
A source said only a speedy resolution of the crisis could avert the looming resignations.
Said the source:“ Their resignations are votes of no confidence in the national chairman. Don’t forget these officials represent certain interests and states on the NWC.
“They are not just acting on their own. They are speaking for a lot of people and interests,” he said.
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Forces believed to be spearheaded by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike are championing the removal from office of the chairman whose tenure expires in December.
Those calling for the ouster of the chairman have expressed preference for the setting up of a caretaker committee to replace the Secondus-led National Working Committee (NWC).
A highly placed member of the BoT told The Nation yesterday that the party leaders were set for Monday’s meeting.
The source, who does not want his name in print, said: “We in the BoT are meeting with the PDP Governors on Monday for further consultation over the tenure of the national chairman.
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“We are ready for the meeting, just that we are waiting for signal from Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State who is the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum.”
Stressing the need for further consultations on the festering leadership crisis in the party, the source confirmed that last Thursday’s meeting of the BoT failed to take a definite position on the tenure of the chairman.
Speaking further, the source said: “We could not resolve the matter because some members at the meeting wanted the chairman to complete his tenure while others wanted him to be replaced with an ad hoc committee that will handle the processes leading to our national convention coming up in December.
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“For now, I may not be able to tell you the direction the pendulum will swing until after our meeting with the governors. Nobody can predict the outcome until the meeting is over.”
The crisis rocking the main opposition party was triggered by the scramble and scheming for positions ahead of the 2023 elections.
Wike, who is believed to be interested in the party’s presidential or vice presidential ticket in 2023, is against Secondus retaining his seat as the party will not concede the two positions to the same zone.
Wike and Secondus are from Rivers State.
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It was further gathered at the weekend that Secondus had been scheming for a second term as chairman apparently with the benefit of insider knowledge that the PDP will zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the North.
Although the leadership of the party has continued to prevaricate over its position on the zoning of its 2023 presidential ticket, the body language of its key gladiators indicates that the party may opt for a candidate from the North.
Similarly, it’s instructive that not a single PDP chieftain of northern extraction has so far indicated interest in the chairmanship of the party.
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The only party chieftain who has so far indicated interest in the chairmanship position is a former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola who hails from the Southwest.
