Some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have alleged that the party have sidelined them from the ongoing presidential campaign, deepening the worsening crisis in the opposition party.
The NWC members who are members of Southern extraction accused the leadership of the party, the National chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu of marginalising them in the ongoing presidential campaigns.
The allegations came to the fore after the National Woman Leader of the party, Stella Effah-Attoe, in a memo raised alarm that there is a deliberate plot to undermine her office in the ongoing campaigns by the party.
In the memo titled “Deliberate attempts to undermine my office, Office of the National Woman Leader and to sideline my humble person: An unacceptable hindrance,” Efface-Attoe alleged that the National Chairman has been stopping her from addressing the people at the two campaigns rallies which held in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom and Kaduna state.
The memo reads, “At the flag-off ceremony of the PDP campaigns in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on October 10, 2022, serious attempts were made to prevent me from addressing the PDP audience at the Uyo stadium. It must be stated here that it is a customary tradition in our party for the National Woman Leader and the National Youth Leader to address rallies in conjunction with party candidates, party chairmen, et al.
“Unfortunately, in Uyo, every attempt was made to prevent me from addressing party faithful. I was told that there was a clear directive not to allow me to speak to the crowd. It got to the ridiculous extent of these agents calling on Senator Uche Ekwunife to speak to the audience on behalf of PDP women.
“Senator Ekwunife was very embarrassed but she was prodded to do it. Iyom Josephine Anenih, a former PDP National Woman Leader drew the attention of some party leaders to this anomaly. It was then that I was reluctantly called to address the audience on behalf of the PDP women. This unfortunate development did not go unnoticed by the party faithful, who found the whole drama very embarrassing and childish.
“At the PDP Kaduna rally on Monday, October 17, 2022, the National Youth Leader was called upon to address the crowd on behalf of the PDP youths, which he did perfectly well, to the admiration of the populace. I was present at the event in Kaduna. I was even seated beside the National Youth Leader but nobody called me to address the audience on behalf of the PDP women.
“Rather, the spectacle was a very ridiculous announcement calling on Dr Baraka Sani (Director of the PDP Support Groups, in the Campaign Council), to address the crowd on behalf of the PDP women. The entire audience was surprised and confused.
“People started asking questions there and then. Many wondered why the National Youth Leader was called upon to perform his traditional and official role, while the National Woman Leader was deliberately prevented from doing hers.
“There and then, some people tried to explain that unfortunate scenario in different colourations. While a lot of people found the occurrence very offensive, I smiled over the unfortunate incident in total sympathy with the perpetrators of such childish displays.
“It may interest you to know that the happening has gone viral, to the disgust of many Nigerians. Specifically, the Kaduna occurrence has seriously painted our great party in a negative light. Very, very sad indeed!
“Well, on this note, it has become very obvious that there are some distracting elements within our great party who are determined to frustrate me in the performance of my statutory duties as the PDP National Woman Leader. This is very unacceptable. I state clearly here that I cannot and will never succumb to any unnecessary attempt to frustrate me in the performance of my official duties.
“I will continue to perform my duties to the best of my ability and to the benefit of our esteemed party, within the confines of my safety and the tolerance level around me.
“The purpose of this elaborate analysis is to bring the attention of the members of the PDP National Working Committee to these strange developments happening around my office and by extension, my humble person,” the memo read.
The National Woman Leader further said ill-treatment being meted out on her was not unconnected with the decision of some NWC members to return millions of naira into the party’s coffers.
The New Diplomat had reported that few weeks ago, some NWC members including Efface-Attoe; the Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja; National Vice Chairman, South-South, Dan Orbih; National Vice Chairman, South-East, Alli Odefa Olasoji Adagunobi-Oluwatukesi; National Vice Chairman, South-West and the Deputy National Secretary, Setonji Koshoedo, returned millions of naira into the party’s coffers, questioning Ayu’s powers to approve funds above N10m cap.
While Arapaja returned the sum of N36m, the other five returned N28.8m each, citing a report in the media alleging they had been bribed by the national chairman to silence them on questions bordering on Ayu’s financial accountability.
Although, the party in a statement absolved the former Senate President of any wrongdoing, noting that the disbursement of the controversial housing allowance passed through due process; the NWC members insisted that at no point were they part of a meeting where the issue was tabled for deliberations.
Commenting of the situation, a member of the NWC member who spoke on the condition of anonymity said since he and five others rejected the money they had been branded “Wike’s people,” adding that they have been treated like an outcast in the party.
“Those of us who refunded money has been totally sidelined. They called us Wike’s people and they don’t want us to have anything to do with the campaigns.
“For now, the NWC is not functioning. The campaigns have taken over every other thing. The presidential candidate does not know what to do but it appears he wants Ayu to remain. As a result, Ayu is ready to fight Wike to the finish,” the source was quoted as saying.
Speaking also, a founding member of the PDP and ex-chairman of the BoT, Bode George has warned of a plot to sideline southerners, even as he called for unity within the party ahead of the 2023 polls.
According to George, some people are trying to turn the PDP into the “Northern Peoples Democratic Party”.
He said: “This conception of a revisit to the amalgamation period must never be allowed. They are turning the PDP into the Northern Peoples Democratic Party. The National Woman Leader was refused to address the party because she is from the South. What does that portend?
“Our young man, the National Youth Leader from the North was allowed to talk. What are they driving at for God’s sake?”
