
As the battle for the control of the party machinery continues, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of its stakeholders’ conference on Thursday has divided into six major factions, as controversy looms in the party over the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket in 2019 to the North. The loss of the general elections to the All Progressives Party (APC) has led to the emergence of the splitting into six groups in the party.
The zoning has foreclosed the return of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s presidential flag bearer in 2019. Pro-Jonathan elements in the party are angry that the National Working Committee(NWC) announced the zoning to enable most of its members to retain their posts in the March 2016 National Convention.It was believed that each of the six groups is battling to secure the control of the NWC under the guise of reforming the party.
Here are the six groups below:
– Sitting PDP governors;
– Ex-PDP Ministers Forum/ Jonathan group;
– The NWC;
– Reformists comprising Ken Nnamani, Ahmed Makarfi, Ibrahim Mantu, Iyorchia Ayu and others;
– Northern elements, including many retired military chieftains, seeking dissolution of the NWC.
A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “All is still not well in the PDP since we lost the election.
“Most of our leaders and members believe we need to reform the party beginning with the dissolution of the NWC. But members of the NWC are locked in a game of survival. They are also using a divide and rule method to remain in office till.
“Even some NWC members are already joining groups in the party in order to retain their seats at the next National Convention in March 2016.
“Some former PDP governors and NWC members are working in tandem to hijack the PDP structure in order to call the shots ahead of 2019.
“Since these governors have the financial war chest to finance the cash-strapped party, some NWC members are bowing to their instructions.
“Some former ministers and allies of Jonathan are not happy that the same NWC which accounted for the defeat of the party at the poll in April is still in place. They are demanding surgical reforms.
“These ex-ministers and northern elements are asking that the acting National Chairman (Uche Secondus) should step aside for a candidate from the North-East since the post was conceded to the zone. The last occupant was ex-Governor Ahmed Muazu from Bauchi in the North-East.”
Reports further say party chiefs remain divided in spite of Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu panel on reconciliation. Each faction is reportedly battling to be in-charge of the party’s hegemony ahead of its stakeholders’ conference on Thursday
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