The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has alleged that President Goodluck Jonathan’s aides and associates who mismanaged the presidential campaigns are planning to destabilise the committee in an attempt to divert attention from their misdeeds.
The NWC in a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh the committee is “aware of the clandestine activities of such aides and associates of the President, including their unholy alliance with some elements in other parties to undermine and weaken the PDP by attacking its leadership.
“The NWC is aware that these same individuals who mismanaged the presidential campaigns are now desperately seeking to cause crisis in the PDP with a view not only to divert attention from their misdeeds, but also to ensure that they remained politically relevant by hijacking the party structure for their selfish purposes.
“We are aware that these individuals have been trying to arm-twist the President to order a meeting of party leaders at the Presidential Villa in the coming days where the NWC members would be put under pressure to resign, thereby triggering a crisis in the leadership at national level.
“The party is aware that the same group has been sponsoring series of amorphous bodies and negative publications in a section of the media to peddle false allegations against the NWC to back their heinous and unconstitutional demands that the President should sack the NWC before the handover date of May 29, 2015.
“For the purposes of clarity, especially for those making uninformed demands of the President, the party NWC is duly elected and its tenure ends in March 2016 in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution.
“The PDP is a party built on the rule of law and democratic ethos. Its NWC is elected and not appointed and as such cannot be sacked at will or by an executive fiat. Besides, no section of the party constitution prescribes that the NWC should quit if the party loses in a general election.
“Consequently, the leadership of the PDP by this statement makes it very clear and in an unambiguous terms too that it will no longer condone such divisive actions by the same unscrupulous individuals who in their selfishness ruined the fortunes of our great party in the general elections.
“The NWC will no longer tolerate actions that tend to undermine discipline and the supremacy of the party and its constitution, as it will henceforth not hesitate to apply full disciplinary measures for infractions
“Our advice to these ambitious aides and associates of the President is to leave party matters and concentrate on the presidential transition and smooth handover of power to the incoming administration as well as prepare for post-handover issues that might arise regarding the administration in which they served.”
Metuh added that “Nigerians are not at a loss as to the fact that the PDP NWC did not manage the campaign and its fund. Those who managed the campaigns have already submitted their reports to the President who in his wisdom gave them the mandate and they have been applauded for a job well done at that level.”