Fresh crisis hits PDP over Secondus second term bid

With four months to the expiration of the tenure of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, key critical stakeholders in the party have started in earnest the battle for the soul of the party.

According to a reliable source, the looming intra-party struggle over who becomes the national chairman of the PDP is already an issue of serious concern among party elders.

Reliable sources told National Daily that Governors, former presidential aspirants of the party and other leading lights of the party are among those gearing up to work against the re-election bid of Secondus.

It was however gathered that Secondus still enjoys the backing of some other party chieftains, which include the camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who want him to lead the party to the next elections.

Sources said opposition to Secondus’ second term may not be unconnected with allegations in some quarters that he favoured, and still favours, the Atiku political camp more than other blocs within the party.

“You shouldn’t be surprised if you discover that governors like Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, among others, are opposed to the second term ambition of our chairman,” a source said.

He added: “Many of them are still holding the belief that the process was manipulated by the NWC to favour Atiku’s emergence as candidate. Naturally, they want their own man in charge.”

Meanwhile, some Chairmen of the PDP in the South-West recently accused Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State of a surreptitious move to prevent the re-election of Secondus.

They said prominent party leaders in the zone would not support the move. The chairmen, Deji Doherty (Lagos), Clement Faboyede (Ondo), Dr. Sikirulai Ogundele (Ogun) and Sunday Akanfe (Osun), accused Makinde and Chief Bode George, former deputy national chairman of the party, of championing the plot in the zone.

They said: “We the undersigned are party chairmen in states of the South-West Zone, and we feel duty-bound to alert you on the need to forestall the festering of any crisis in the South-West zone of the party.

“We are also aware that factors propelling the simmering crisis included that of Chief Olabode to become National Chairman at all cost and also that of Senator Hosea Agboola, the current caretaker chairman of Ekiti State, to become national vice-chairman.

“These two men are exploring their closeness to the governor to prosecute inordinate ambition at the expense of the existing amity and understanding within the South-West Zone, which is currently being disrupted for this reason.”