By National Record, with Agency Report
THE PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) moved decisively on Wednesday to contain a burgeoning internal crisis, appointing a new convention secretary following high-profile defections and simultaneously moving to sanction members for dissent.
The National Working Committee (NWC) announced the appointment of Sen. Ben Ndi Obi as the new Secretary of the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC).
He steps in to replace Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State, who formally defected from the PDP to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) on Tuesday.
The party’s swift action to fill the vacancy was accompanied by a firm crackdown on internal opposition.
In a separate but related move, the PDP Forum of Chairmen suspended two of its members, Mr. Austine Nwachukwu (Imo) and Amah Nnana (Abia), for obtaining a court injunction to halt the party’s planned national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan.
Reading a communiqué from the Forum, its newly appointed Chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, condemned the chairmen’s actions as “a betrayal of the party’s unity and collective resolve.”
He alleged that the ruling APC was working with internal elements to derail the PDP’s convention, describing these efforts as “a dangerous step toward establishing a de facto one-party state.”
The party’s national leadership, through a statement by National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, commended the NCOC and called for unity.
