PDP Crises Deepens Over Unity List At Party’s Convention

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

The outcome of the just concluded convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seemed to have deepened the fragile peace they had enjoyed as protests trail the emergence of the newly elected leaders of the party.

The atmosphere at the Eagle square at the Federal Capital City, Abuja where the convention took place was peaceful.

Some of the party leaders made inspiring speeches for unity and boasted how PDP will take over the government in 2019 unknowing to them that another crisis was waiting for them.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the latest crisis was the discovery of the ‘Unity list’ used during the convention which has pitched party members against one another. Some of the candidates protested that the list was used to compromise the election as the Caretaker Committee had already predetermined candidates they selected for various post.

Among the candidates who protested against the process which led to the emergence of Prince Uche Secondus as the elected Party Chairman was High Chief Raymond Dokpesi.
The list sight by our correspondent indicated the order of preferred candidates where Secondus’ name appeared as number one on the list and the delegates were coerced to vote according to the list. Chief Dokpesi noted that the list was presented to the delegates to compromise the process and called for the total cancellation of the election.

Another chairmanship candidate, Professor Tunde Adeniran also spoke in similar manner and called the BOT to take over the leadership of the party and conduct a fresh election.

How the list surfaced at the convention was still a surprise to the protesting candidates, who alleged that it was prepared and presented to the delegates to vote against their conscience by the PDP governors to achieve their predetermined selfish objective of hijacking the party platform.

It was also alleged that money was used to induce the delegates to vote according to the lists presented to them and those preferred candidates all won the positions allocated to them. Some party members also alleged that some candidates were deliberately screened out by the committee set up to conduct the election, and they were said to have threatened to go to court.

Angered by the outcome of the election, Dokpesi said that he will use every internal mechanism of the party structure to fight for the cancellation of the election but did not state whether he will challenge the matter in court.

Prof. Adeniran was said to have walked out of the convention with his supporters but has not said what he will do next.

The resulted of the election showed that Secondus won with 2000 votes, Adeniran had 230 while Dokpesi had 66 votes.
Both Adeniran and Dokpesi alleged that the list was given to the delegates and the organisers were aware of that but were helpless.

It was not certain the steps the aggrieved candidates and their supporters will take. According to some party members who were also aggrieved, the last has not been heard over the outcome of the election.