A fresh crisis is brewing within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as some members have accused the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) of manipulating the Anambra State governorship primary election ad-hoc delegate list to favour a particular aspirant.
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The Uche Secondus-led NWC was accused of planning to trade off the 2023 presidential and governorship tickets in a desperate bid to secure reelection at the PDP’s national convention holding in December.
But in a reaction, the party’s national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, described the allegation as unfounded.
A source in the party said the NWC is working with two PDP state governors to manipulate the Anambra primary election as well as the 2023 presidential nomination process in return for reelection in December.
The crisis in the party deepened on Monday when the meeting summoned by the NWC at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja ended with aspirants and stakeholders from Anambra State faulting the NWC over the alleged manipulation of the three-man ad-hoc delegate list to favour a female aspirant ahead of Saturday’s governorship primary.
It was gathered that aspirants and stakeholders at the meeting accused the NWC of compromising the process by allowing results sheets to be taken from Awka, Anambra State capital, to Enugu where the names of delegates elected on the field were removed and replaced with agents of the said aspirant.
An aspirant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, hinted that party stakeholders have vowed not to work with the said female aspirant if she eventually emerges the candidate of the party on Saturday.
“I can confirm to you that this NWC is mortgaging the fortunes of our party in the Anambra election as a bargaining chip to secure their reelection in December. They are staking our party’s interest for their personal political interest and we will not allow that to happen,” he said.