By KAYODE OYERO

As mass resignation rocks the National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, the media office of the National Chairman of the opposition party, Uche Secondus, has raised the alarm that a “strong party chieftain” is bent on hijacking the party structure.

Secondus’ Special Adviser on Media, Ike Abonyi, made this known in a statement on Wednesday titled, ‘Who is after Secondus and why is somebody in love of caretaker?’

The allegation against a faceless “strong chieftain” of the PDP is coming amid the fresh crisis that hit the party as seven members of its NEC resigned from their offices on Tuesday.

The seven officers who resigned were Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Diran Odeyemi; Deputy National Legal Adviser, Ahmed Liman; Deputy Women Leader, Umoru Hadizat; Deputy Auditor, Divine Arong; Deputy National Organising Secretary, Hassan Yakubu; Deputy Financial Secretary, Irona Alphonsus and one other whose identity was not known.

In their separate resignation letters, the party officials cited “bad treatment” by the PDP National Chairman as the reason for their action.

But reacting in the statement through his media office, Secondus wondered “why few months to National Convention of the party, somebody is routing for a Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the party.”

The statement read, “The media office of the National Chairman is privy to intelligence that the strong party chieftain bent on hijacking the party structure for destruction is still on the loose with the main agenda of denting the image of Prince Uche Secondus the National Chairman.

“Reports reaching this office shows clearly that this character is deploying all devious means to try and diminish the person and character of the National Chairman with a view to having his way of ultimately hijacking the structure for his disproportionately large ambition.

“We, therefore, wish to alert the general public particularly media houses and party stakeholders to look out for strange deployment of luring gifts from this destructive ‘Father Christmas’ all aimed at having a grip on the soul of our party by having a caretaker Committee.

“What continues to shock many party observers is the real reason behind the desperation of this man to get at the National Chairman and the quantum of public funds being expended to achieve this illicit goal a few months to the National Convention.

“Few months to National Convention anybody who means well for this party and who is a true democrat should respect the constitution of the party and approach issues dispassionately.

“Prince Secondus through the media office however wishes to assure all critical stakeholders of our great party that every reasonable step is being taken to ensure that the image and status of the party are not injured by all these needless noise and scheming by desperadoes.” (The PUNCH)

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