Crises looms in PDP as members fight over Chairmanship position

- Peoples Democratic Party members fight over the post of party chairman 

- There were reports that some governors were planning to impose Prince Uche Secondus as the chairman 

- A governor from the south south is leading the team of those praying for Secondus to takeover leadership from Makarfi A fresh crisis has reportedly ensued between members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over some south south governors' choice of national party chairman.

                              

 There are reports that some governors are trying to impose Prince Uche Secondus as the next party chairman. Daily Trust reports that credible sources within the party said some members of the PDP National Caretaker Committee and other key players were divided over Secondus’ choice by some governors, but were handling the situation to avoid crisis. Secondus was an acting chairman of the party in 2015 but refused to hand over until he was dragged to Barrister Ahmed Gulak. 

A source claimed that a governor of south south has been working hard to install to make Secondus the party chairman 

He said: “Secondus is his choice and he is forcing him on the party. So I can tell you that even among the governors, some of them are not in the picture of what the few are doing. This is imposition ‎rearing its head.

 “‎But in a free and fair contest, Secondus will not win because most of the northern delegates and even those from the South West will not vote for him.” Another source, a former member of the House of Representatives, also confirmed that some governors and power brokers were gunning for Secondus, but secretly. “‎They are drawing a slate. They want to confuse people by throwing up many aspirants for each position to later harmonize and get the candidates of their choice. 

“Secondus is their choice but they just want to open the space for others to contest in order that there should be ‎a sense of inclusive participation. “And the convention is likely to go to Port Harcourt if they don’t have a consensus, but if they do, they would hold it in Abuja. “Look at what‎ happened in Anambra primaries and the indications coming out from Ekiti. If we have not learnt from our past mistakes, we are finished.

 Meanwhile, Chief Bode George, the former deputy chairman of the PDP has described impunity as the biggest challenge that the party would have in 2019. The PDP lost power to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015 after producing three presidents since 1999. George, however, said he would change this and bring back the party’s glory if elected as its national chairman, promising to make 2019 victorious for the PDP