By James Orji
Has former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ditched his political differences with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, to join forces with him to remove the National Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP Uche Secondus? That, indeed, is the big question on the lips of supporters of the leading opposition party in the country after the embattled chairman accused a powerful leader of the party of trying to remove him from office.
Atiku is eyeing the 2023 presidential election under the PDP platform while Governor Wike, nursing the ambition of becoming the vice president is said to be pitching his tenth with Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state.
But, have both leaders set aside their political differences over the crisis rocking the party? That is not impossible, close watchers of the party said, considering the desperation on the part of PDP stakeholders to take power in the next presidential election.
The party has faced defections of top members of the party to the ruling APC, a situation many blamed on the leadership style of the Secondus who rode into that position on the support of Governor Wike. The relationship between Governor Wike and Secondus, whose tenure is expected to expire in December his year, has since broken down.
The gale of defections which has seen three governors elected on the party defect to APC has even got worse after seven national officers of the party resigned their positions on Wednesday. Pressure is seriously being mounted on the chairman to resign from office, close sources at the Wadata House, the PDP National Secretariat told the magazine on Thursday.
Governors that recently left the party are Dave Umahi (Ebonyi) Prof. Ben Ayade (Cross Rivers) and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara).
The national officers 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Yakubu; Deputy National Legal Adviser, Ahmed Liman, and Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Diran Odeyemi, who has now withdrawn his resignation.
Others are the Deputy National Woman Leader, Hadizat Umoru and Deputy National Auditor, Divine Arong. Other aggrieved National Working Committee, NWC members are also planning to resign their positions, according to sources.
Speaking on the development Secondus, in a statement by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, alleged that a strong chieftain of the party is behind the move to force him out of office.
According to a statement entitled “Who is after Secondus and Why is somebody in love of caretaker?” the PDP chairman warned that an unnamed leader of the party is trying to hijack the PDP ahead the 2023 elections.
He said “Answers to the above posers will help members of the public to decipher the recent disquiet in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and why few months to National Convention of the party, somebody is routing for a Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the party.
“The media office of the National Chairman is privy to an intelligence that the strong party chieftain bent on hijacking the party structure for destruction is still on the lose with the main agenda of denting the image of Prince Uche Secondus the National Chairman.
“Reports reaching this office shows clearly that this character is deploying all devious means to try and diminish the person and character of the National Chairman with a view to having his way of ultimately hijacking the structure for his disproportionately large ambition…
“What continues to shock many party observers is the real reason behind the desperation of this man to get at the National Chairman and the quantum of public funds being expended to achieve this illicit goal few months to the National Convention.
“Few months to National Convention anybody who mean well for this party and who is a true democrat should respect the constitution of the party and approach issues dispassionately,” the PDP chairman stated.
Even though the embattled chairman did not mention the party chieftain behind his predicament, it is widely believed that he’s referring to Governor Wike who, last year said the NWC led by Secondus has become “tax collectors”.
The Rivers’ state helmsman, has also called Secondus a “liar”, blaming him for the party’s recent woes at the birthday celebration of an ex-Cross River governor Liyel Imoke.
But with different stakeholders trying to save the soul of the party, many insist that some opposing forces may have joined to push the chairman out following a meeting former Vice President Abubakar had with Governor Wike last month in Port Harcourt.
Atiku told journalists after the meeting that “he came here to reconcile with the governor on party affairs and how we can ensure that there is unity and stability in the party.
“So, that we can take over government in 2023. I believe that Nigerians can’t wait for 2023 to come so that PDP will return.”
But sources say the consultation could be more than meet the eyes, particularly as some also insist that the crisis rocking the party has taken turn for the worse after the meeting between the two leaders.
For instance, the call for Secondus to resign from office has gained more momentum, while party stalwarts such as state governors elected on the platform of the party, members of the NWC and other concerned stakeholders have been making frantic efforts to save the party from collapse, without any solution in sight.
The latest of such calls was made on Wednesday by the PDP National Youth Leader, Ude Okoye, who said the crisis in the party is caused by the leadership style of the National Chairman.
Meanwhile, Atiku has denied that he’s after the PDP chairman, noting that those linking him with Secondus predicament are mischief makers.
According to a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe the former number two Paul Ibe describes the allegation as “a beer parlour talk, it is also mischievous. Why will a former Vice President be behind the plot to sack PDP national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus? What will be his interest?
“This is someone who has commenced the process of having conversations with stakeholders of the party on reconciliation. A man who has encouraged processes aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the party.’
I did not consult Governor Wike to remove Secondus, Atike said.
According to him “The trip he made to Port Harcourt came after a one in Delta. And he has more in the offing. Why will he promote peace and stability in the party and be behind moves to sack Secondus? It’s ridiculous for anyone to talk about this.
“Atiku understands the Constitution of the PDP and what the party says about tenure for party leadership. So he cannot be working against something that he understands and promotes. That is not how democrats behave. Those are anti-democratic behaviour and that is not who he is. Whoever is saying this, should know that this is a beer parlour talk and unnecessary mischief.”
