Get Ready For Consequences, PDP Warns Splinter Group

Get Ready For Consequences, PDP Warns Splinter Group

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has threatened to sanction the splinter group which opened a parallel National Working Committee of the party.

The party gave the warning on Thursday in Abuja, a day after a faction of the PDP was unveiled in the Federal Capital Territory.

Some aggrieved members had faulted the elective convention that was conducted on December 9 and threatened to inaugurate a parallel National Working Committee in January 2018.

But the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondinyan, told reporters during a press briefing that aggrieved members should seek the right channel to table their grievances.

He also warned them against allowing themselves to be used by their rivals to cause disharmony within the party as the PDP would not spare erring members.

Ologbondinyan accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of being the brain behind the emergence of the splinter group in the PDP.

He, however, said that his party has become stronger following the convention and is ready to take over power from the APC when Nigerians go to poll in 2019.

A statement issued after the press briefing read:

My colleagues, as you are aware, in spite of all challenges, the elective National Convention of our great party successfully held on December 9-10, 2017 and was internationally acknowledged as credible, free and fair.

It is no longer news that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), having failed to scuttle the convention, has been frazzled and unhappy as they have realisedthat the convention marks a new beginning in our sure and steady step to rescue our dear nation and her people from the misrule of the APC.

Recall that after our convention the APC attempted to inject disagreement and rancor among our members, particularly in the southwest, but also failed.

However, following certain concerns on the outcome of our convention, our conflict resolution mechanism began to address the issues that will engender continuous harmony in our fold.

Consequently, the National Reconciliation Committee led by the Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency, Governor Seriake Dickson, met with critical stakeholders and leaders of our party in Abuja, Ibadan and Lagos, where very fruitful discussions were held on issues particularly related to election into the office of the National Chairman were better resolved or collectively agreed upon.

Party members who contested for other positions from the National Secretary and below were duly informed that discussions on their concerns will hold in the second week of January 2018 since the party would be proceeding for Yuletide and New Year festivities and would only resume on January 8, 2018.

Majority of our party members who contested for the said positions accepted the decision of the National Reconciliation Committee to reconvene on January 8, 2018, in good faith, and in the greater interest of our party.

It is, however, strange, unacceptable and outside every known law and regulation that a group of individuals will come together and claim to have formed a splinter group of our great party and even attempt to use our colour, name, and logo unauthorised.

It is, therefore, imperative to inform all our members that our party is one, indivisible and united PDP and that all organs of the party; the National Executive Committee (NEC), the Board of Trustees (BOT) as well as our state organs are all intact, thus foreclosing any basis for any form of factionalisation whatsoever.

We urge any of our members who might feel strongly about the outcome of the generally accepted National Convention to explore the opportunities provided by the Governor Dickson’s Reconciliation Committee in line with the constitution of our great party.

Thereafter, any person who for any selfish reason resort to the ignoble part of attempting to create disaffection and disunity in our party will be made to face the consequences of his or her actions as provided for in the constitution of our great party and extant laws of the land.

A word, they say, is enough for the wise!

The PDP remains a highly responsible and law-abiding party, with level playing ground for all to aspire for any position but on no account should we, as members, submit ourselves to the manipulations of the ruling party to be used as agents of destabilisation.

Finally, the leadership of the PDP states firmly that we will not allow ourselves to be distracted because we have a task committed to us by Nigerians, which is to unseat the incompetent and corrupt APC, rescue the nation from their clutches and return our dear country to the path of prosperity and national unity.