The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has uncovered membership registration scandal in some state chapters of the party.
The illegal registration, allegedly being sponsored by yet-to-be-identified party chieftains, is aimed at cornering statutory delegates from the wards and local governments ahead of the party’s state election primaries.
It was gathered that the sponsors of the illegal registration have issued unauthorised membership cards to their cronies in the various states, with the view to getting their votes for their preferred candidates in the governorship and other state election primaries. The PDP had fixed the primaries for October.
Reports indicate that some of the states involved in the registration scandal include Anambra, Cross River, Enugu, Lagos, Nasarawa, Kano, Sokoto and a few others.
Miffed by the scandal, the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, had during the week, summoned the 36 chairmen of the state chapters for an emergency meeting at the national secretariat.
The meeting was also attended by members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Snippets at the meeting indicated that the cards were being smuggled out of the national secretariat by some party insiders in under-the-counter deals with desperate politicians who needed them.
Shocked by the development, Mu’azu was said to have ordered the withdrawal of party registers in wards and local governments across the federation, with the view to frustrating the plans of the sponsors of the illegal registration.
The chairman was also said to have directed investigation into the scandal, with the view to unveiling the identities of the sponsors and their collaborators at the party’s national secretariat.
Mu’azu was said to have vowed that anyone found culpable would be handed over to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for prosecution.
A highly placed party source close to the meeting informed our correspondent at the weekend that some prominent party chieftains in the various states were being linked to the scandal.
“But the chairman made it clear that he would not take action against anyone until their involvement in the scandal is proven beyond doubts.
“He vowed that regardless of their connection in government and party circles, anyone found culpable would be made to pay the price,” the source added.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the party is being bugged down by the spate of terrorist attacks in the different locations within the Northeastern parts of the county and the renewed attacks in Plateau State.
Particularly, the abduction of over 200 Chibok schoolgirls by the Boko Haram insurgents on April 14 and the sustained global outrage over the missing girls may have put the party machinery in a quandary.
The development has forced the PDP to suspend its zonal rallies, which was meant to herald the much expected declaration of President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 race.
A parry source told our correspondent at the weekend that the President and the leadership of the party are in a dilemma as to how to handle the situation, considering the prevailing mood of Nigerians and the international community over the girls’ abduction.
The source, who refused to be named, said: “We are in a dilemma and everybody, including the President is worried. Tell me, how can the party continue with its scheduled programme under these troubling circumstances?
“Everything is being put on hold because as the ruling party, we cannot go out there for mobilisation when over 200 of our daughters are still being held captive by terrorists.
“We would be providing cheap ammunitions for the opposition to attack us and mobilise the Nigerian people against our party and President Goodluck Jonathan if we venture out for any rally at this critical period.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com