Guardian News | Factions Pressure NWC To Change PDP Candidates’ List

[NewsCaster]

WITH the removal of the former National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo last Monday, pressure is currently being mounted on the new leadership of the party, led by its Acting National Chairman, Dr. Haliru Bello Mohammed, to alter the list of the party candidates who emerged through its primaries, The Guardian has learnt.

A member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian yesterday that the pressure was coming from the same forces that masterminded the abrupt removal of Nwodo from office.

But in a swift reaction, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, in an interview with The Guardian, denied the allegation that the party is tampering with the outcome of the primaries.

He said: "Nobody is tinkering with any list. Like we said earlier, the party is looking into all complaints that arose from the primaries and the National Working Committee (NWC) led by our Acting Chairman, Dr Haliru Bello is addressing all the issues based on merit."

However, NWC member said: "With the January 31 deadline for the submission of list of candidates to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for election by political parties, we are under pressure from different quarters to alter the list of candidates that have emerged in the party primaries conducted by Nwodo-led leadership.

"The pressure is coming from powerful forces within and outside the party to the extent that the party leadership is already contemplating repeating primaries in some states, especially where there were parallel congresses, to accommodate these forces and avoid litigations before the INEC deadline expires."

The forces from different parts of the country are not leaving any stone unturned as they are intensely lobbying the national leadership with everything at their disposal to have their way.         

"Likely, the way things are going, there may be a repeat of primaries in some states before the INEC deadline expires by this month end. You know there is no room for substitution according to the new the electoral law, there could be a repeat of primaries in some states before the final submission of the list to ensure that there will no litigation," the NWC member added.

A source at the party's national headquarters in Abuja disclosed yesterday that a serving senator from Anambra State who assisted the ousted national chairman of the party in obtaining a court injunction from a High Court in Ekwulobia to counter the one previously issued by the Enugu High Court is likely to be one of the victims of the scheming, as forces against him are bent on stopping him from re-contesting following the controversy that trailed his emergence at the primaries.

The Guardian learnt that the NWC of the party has rejected the list of candidates from Enugu North Senatorial District nominated by Nwodo during his reconciliation with Governor Sullivan Chime before he was removed from office on Monday.

It was learnt that the NWC on Thursday ratified the list submitted by the state executive of the party led by Mr. Vita Abba, which included Senator Ayogu Eze, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Eugene Odoh and others loyal to the governor, a development which some Nwodo loyalists nominated before his removal are kicking against.

Factions Pressure NWC To Change PDP Candidates' List