There was pandemonium at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday, following the invasion of thugs who disrupted the meeting of the Board of Trustees (BoT).
The meeting, which was chaired by the BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, was attended by the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum.
Also at the meeting were BoT Secretary Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Hajia Inna Ciroma, Senator Ben Obi, Chairman of PDP Reconciliation Committee, Gen. Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu.
The leadership crisis in the party escalated as supporters of the National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu and former National Youth Leader Sunday Ude-Okoye clashed at the Wadata House, Abuja.
Ude-Okoye, who also claims to be Secretary, is challenging Anyanwu’s claim to the position in court.
Last year, the litigation shifted to the Supreme Court for final adjudication.
The Secretary is a member of the BoT. The bone of contention was who between Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye should attend the meeting of the highest advisory organ in that capacity.
There was apprehension as thugs, who stormed the meeting, dragged out Ude-Okoye, mounted the entrance and insisted that he cannot participate in the deliberation because his membership of BoT was disputed.
When Ude-Okoye insisted on attending the meeting, he was physically assaulted by a party stalwart.
Amid the tension, the supporters of Udey-Okoye mobilise, themselves to the entrance to confront Anyanwu’s aides, who quickly ran inside the hall and closed the door.
Some thugs scaled the fence of the party office in solidarity with their respective leaders.
It took the intervention of the police and other security agents to bring the situation under control, using tear gas.
After the deliberation, the BoT adjourned till next month. Damagum announced that the next meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) would also hold next month.
Proxy forces behind crisis, say Damagum, Wabara
Damagum and Wabara attributed the hullabaloo to proxy forces bent on destroying the main national party.
The acting chairman said some leaders are mischievously pursuing their ambitions to the detriment of the party.
Lamenting the crisis, Wabara said: “This meeting comes at a time when the unity, focus and direction and ideals of our great party are being tested in ways that call for reflection and decisive action.
“The failure to resolve these internal conflicts undermines the strength and credibility of our party; it is therefore imperative that the NWC rises above personal interests and places the survival and progress of our great party above all other considerations.”
Damagun pointed out that certain influential party leaders were fueling the crises by inviting the National Working Committee (NWC) members to secret meetings without informing him.
He said:”There is a crisis within the national working committee (NWC). It is normal. Unfortunately, I want to say this with a high sense of responsibility, most of these crises that you see today within the NWC are propelled by our leaders who are supposed to unite us.
“If you create a crisis simply to further your ambition, you may get what you want. But your dream will not be realised because you have injured the horse you are going to ride to your destination.
As the conscience (BoT) of this party, some of us are also complicit. We should look inward, and search our conscience. This party is dear to all of us. It is the only thing we have.”
BoT sets up peace panel
A Reconciliation Committee headed by Taminu Turaki (SAN), a former Minister, was set up by the BoT to resolve the protracted crisis
