From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of using some elements in the PDP to disintegrate the party and turn Nigeria into a one party state.
The former Senate president, who spoke against the backdrop of the avalanche of resignations that has trailed the PDP recently, particularly in Imo State, vowed that the opposition party would resist any attempt to turn Nigeria into one party state.
Former governor of Imo State, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, last week, resigned his membership of the PDP, citing failure to address some lingering issues confronting the main opposition party as reason.
His exit was followed by avalanche of alleged resignations by some national officers including a BoT member, four zonal officers, three state officers, local government chairman and others.
Wabara said the BoT, as the conscience of the party, would not allow self-seeking individuals to be used by the ruling party to destabilise the PDP.
“The BoT will wade in expeditiously to avert the deliberate and planned extinction of this great party. The BoT, with its array of distinguished men and women of invaluable experience and integrity, will surely salvage the party. The BoT did it once and shall do it again no matter whose ox is gored.
“The BoT will never allow the APC to use some characters in the PDP to turn this beautiful and sweet nation into a one party state. “
Wabara said the PDP has had tougher challenges in the past and came out of it stronger, adding that with an array of seasoned politicians, the party was capable of resolving whatever internal challenges were rocking the party.
He expressed optimism that soon, whatever grievances some members of the party had would be amicably resolved.
Senator Wabara reiterated his earlier stand that those expecting PDP to implode would be disappointed.
Reacting, APC chieftain, Osita Okechukwu, accused Wabara and other party members of digging the grave of the main opposition party.
He stated in a statement that the blame game Wabara and others that dug the grave of the PDP dished out to APC was misplaced.
Okechukwu maintained that blame game from BOT chairman is no solution provider, stressing, “therefore, PDP should earnestly introspect on how best to pick the pieces of the party that is dangerously sinking.”
He noted that instead of careful introspection of its bleeding ailments and how to fix Mr. Peter Obi and Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso’s exit and its troubled Nyesom Wike’s masquerade, plus imbibing the best tenets of internal democracy devoid of breach of the zoning convention, extant laws, planlessness and squandermania, the PDP most times arrogantly hauled unnecessary blame on the APC.
“My understanding from our elder statesman’s vituperation is that PDP may not even recover in August after the ward, LGA, and state congresses and national convention, when they failed ab initio to embark on careful introspection to examine the root causes of Obi and Kwankwaso’s exit, especially Wike’s masquerade which led a party that boasted of 60 years uninterrupted reign to woeful failure in 2023 presidential election.
“Truly, PDP needs soul searching to make amends, rather than sweeping its troubled faction under the carpet.”