PDP Splinter Group Emerges, Opens Parallel Secretariat

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A splinter group yesterday emerged from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with the opening of its parallel national secretariat in Abuja.
The group, which called itself “Fresh PDP”, was led by one Prince Obi-Nwosu Emmanuel Butches, who said he was a member of the National Convention Planning Committee.
PDP, however, said it is unperturbed by the activities of the group, describing them as “comical individuals who make outlandish claims in the media.”
Only two persons, Chief Godwin Duru and Franklyne Edede, were the known aspirants among the signatories.
Duru was a National Organising Secretary aspirant while Edede ran for National Youth Leader.
The Fresh PDP secretariat is a three-bedroom flat located on Tito Broz Street, Asokoro Abuja.
The group accused former Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee (NCC), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led committee of imposing “a selection of predetermined persons” as leaders of the party.
“The petition, written by some of the aspirants with respect to the chairman and secretary of the electoral committee, former Governor Gabriel Suswam and Dr. Sunday Onor respectively, who were clearly identified as lead campaigners to one of the chairmanship aspirants, were completely disregarded by the NCC and never attended to.
“The actions of the Chairman of the Electoral Planning Committee, Gabriel Suswam, during the convention showed clearly that they had concluded the election even before the date of the convention. What a tragedy for democracy!” it further lamented.
The group described the production of ‘Unity List’ used to purportedly elect the present National Working Committee (NWC) as despicable, noting that some names in the list “collected nomination forms after the official closing date, some others were not even screened as required by the party’s electoral guideline.
“Consequent upon all the aforementioned acts of brazen impunity and electoral fraud, we the Concerned Candidates and Stakeholders of the PDP, hereby roundly condemn the high level political corruption perpetrated by some of our party leaders at Eagle Square.
“We reject in its entirety, the selected National Working Committee (NWC) list and we call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all other relevant authorities to disregard the purported election of the NWC because they were not elected in line with the provisions of our party constitution and in accordance with the electoral guidelines for the convention.
“As committed and dedicated candidates and party stakeholders, we have decided to ensure that internal party democracy is sustained in the party and that the dreams of our founding fathers who laboured and sacrificed so much to build this party, are not destroyed.”

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