A coalition of Northern youths within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday accused the national chairman of the party Uche Secondus of plotting to impose his preferred presidential candidate on them. The youths also accused the leadership of the party of conniving with the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, to rig the presidential primaries of the party slated to hold on October 5th and 6th by moving the convention to Port Harcourt. Presidential aspirants of the PDP are former and incumbent Senate president David Mark and Bukola Saraki, former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, Gombe state governor Ibrahim Dankwambo and former Kano state governor Rabiu Kwankwaso. Others include former governor of Sokoto State Attahiru Bafarawa, current governor of the state Aminu Tambuwal, former national chairman of the PDP Ahmed Makarfi, a former governor of Plateau State Jonah Jang and Datti Baba-Ahmed. But, the group did not mention an aspirant in particular favoured by the party chairman. “We have noticed with great concern the orchestrated plan by the Chairman of the party and the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, to once again subvert the power of the National Convention and the rights of the National delegates to exercise their powers without fear or favour,” North “We wish to state unequivocally that that process was in no way free and fair and the outcome of that manipulation is still mitigating against the party till now. This new plot, if allowed to succeed, will bury the party once and for all.”
The group while advocating relocation of the party’s primary election to Abuja warned against one-man dictatorship in the party, saying it poses a great threat on the unity and survival of the party before and during the coming elections. “We are aware of the attempt by Governor Wike to force Governors of the party to endorse a particular aspirant he has pledged to give the presidential ticket of the party to and how the Governor of Bayelsa State led the resistance against him.” “The PDP is much bigger than any individual and can no longer continue to be the annex of a particular Governor. The National Chairman, Chief Uche Secondus, must realize that he is nothing but a custodian of that office and the Northern youth will not stand back and allow the enthronement of another Tinubu within the party.”
“At a time when Nigerians are looking towards the party for salvation, embarking on imposition and dictatorial tendencies will not make us different from the APC government we are trying to replace. ” Abuja remains the capital of Nigeria and the centre of unity, Port Harcourt is not and if, for any other reasons Abuja is not available as the venue for the Convention, there are over thirty other States in Nigeria where the Convention can be held but definitely not Rivers State,” Dahiru said.ern PDP youths said in a press statement signed by its convener, Hon. Awwal Dahiru.
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