A coalition of Northern youths within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is accusing the leadership of the party of conniving with the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Nyesom Wike, to rig the Presidential primaries of the party by moving the convention to Port Harcourt.
In a press statement signed by its Convener, Honourable Awwal Dahiru, and made available to news in Abuja on Thursday, the group alleged that the plot by the Uche Secondus led National Working Committee was to move the Convention to Port Harcourt to enable the Rivers State Governor conveniently install his preferred aspirant as the Presidential candidate of the party.
“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 as he did at the December National Convention when the party elected its National Officers.
According to the statement, “We wish to state unequivocally that the 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 further accused the Governor of trying to impose one of the aspirants on the party for the 2019 presidential election.
According to the group, ‘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 emperor 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.”