- Members split between Secondus, Mohammed
By Iheanacho Nwosu
THE battle for the chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will be taken to another level, as camps of the two contenders take their fight to the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party, which holds today in Abuja.
Former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sen. Bala Mohammed, is seeking to take over from the acting National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus. The latter, however, does not want to relinquish office before the national convention of the party billed for March 2016.
A source at the party told Daily Sun that the two camps are going for broke at the NEC meeting. He claimed that both divides have intensified lobby of NEC members to cue behind them.
In his reaction, however, National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, dismissed the claim that Secondus is lobbying NEC members to back him, describing such claims as laughable.
He said: “The acting national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, cannot be lobbying anyone, as he is waiting for the North East representative to be presented.”
Alleging that various things were being used to get members to back his ambition, the PDP source claimed that some individuals, who are backing the candidacy of Bala Mohammed from the North East have been reaching out to key NEC members since Wednesday night to ensure that they vote for the former minister.
Asked who had upper hand between Mohammed and Secondus, the source submitted that NEC members were divided between the two.
According to him, NEC members who are backing Secondus to continue hinge their reason on the fact that bringing in a new national chairman to serve only five months would not be in the best interest of the party.
He stressed that North East PDP leaders backing Mohammed believe that the zone should be allowed to serve out its term cut short by the resignation of Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, former national chairman, who left office after the March presidential election.
“We know that it is almost like a do or die affair for those who want Bala Mohammed to take over as chairman. They are bringing everything to the table,” the source said.
Mohammed recently toured all the states canvassing support for the PDP top office. The party will elect a new set of officials in its national convention scheduled for March next year.