Crisis in PDP deepens as group sacks chairman

The group, through it spokesperson, Doyin Okupe, also declared null and void, all the activities leading to the national congress of the party.

The Daily Sun reports that a statement was signed by former deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, former Education minister, Professor Tunde Adeniran and Chief, Raymond Dokpesi.

Part of the statement reads: “the purported extension of the tenure of the chairman and other members of the national working committee of the party by the NEC was an illegality and, therefore, untenable and contrary to the provision of our party constitution, which gives such powers only to the national convention of the party.”

Also, the spokesman of the party chairman, Inua Bwala, in a swift reaction, condemned the action saying "Senator Ali Modu Sheriff isn’t stepping down as national chairman of the PDP; he is going ahead with plans to conclude with the process that he has started, with ward congress, local government and state congresses and the national convention of this party. Those who feel they cannot belong, those who cannot cope with this, they can as well fall by the roadside. If you can’t withstand the heat, don’t come into the kitchen.”

Bwala also said “Far from that, there can’t be bigger crisis in PDP. Rather, those who are making noise should fall out. You see, you don’t have to ask somebody to go. Genuine reconciliation is going on with people in whose hearts, they have space to make adjustment and agree to work together for the party.

“But those who have foreclosed their minds, to any form of reconciliation can do whatever they want to do. Since Sheriff came on board, he has never said anything about all these things going on. He has never opened his mouth to reply them, because he believes there is still room for us to sit and do genuine reconciliation. But when people who parade themselves as elders decide to take internal affairs of the party to the street, one would be left with no option than to engage them in same manner.

“So, they don’t have the monopoly of mudslinging. These people technically, are no longer members of PDP by their actions.”

The Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike recently announced that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will return to power in 2019.