There is mounting anxiety within the rank and file of Peoples’s Democratic Party, PDP, following what appears to be a delay in the composition of sub-committees as well as the release of a timetable and schedule of activities by the party’s national campaign council.

Party insiders who spoke to Vanguard in confidence, said the anxiety stemmed from the fact that despite its internal challenges, the party had taken the lead in showing the world it was prepared for the task ahead.

This, they noted, made it incumbent on the party not to lose momentum.

The party inaugurated its 600-member campaign council last week and announced Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, as chairman, while his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Tambuwual, was named Director General.

However, after the committee’s inaugural meeting last Thursday, the composition of the sub- committees as well as time-table and schedule of campaign activities is still being awaited.

A member of the council, who spoke in confidence, said: “There is noting to worry about, we’ve set the pace, others are still trying to play catch-up.

“We’ve met and are still meeting these details you are asking about will soon be made public. Even though we have moved on, we want to secure the commitment of our aggrieved members so we can move on.

“There is still time but we can do with less of distractions like the one that the housing allowance for our NWC members is causing at the moment,” he said.

Recall that the PDP presidential campaign council, which was inaugurated last week, was divided into broad directorates, namely Administration, Finance, and Directorate of Legal Affairs.

Others are Directorates of Technology, Situation Room, Election Management, and Training.

Others include: Operations- which was further divided into Directorate of Field Operations and Logistics, Strategic Communications, Security, and Support Groups.

There are also concerns about aggrieved governors not cooperating fully with the campaign in terms of provision of venues and logistics for campaigns in their domains.

A top ranking member of the party involved in the campaign, explained that the absence of the aggrieved governors at the inauguration as well as their actions afterwards was giving the party a cause for concern.

The source said: “It would be naive to think the controversy generated by the return of housing allowances by some NWC members is not part of the game plan of our aggrieved members. We have to really tread carefully to avoid any more surprises.”

Only on Sunday, the five aggrieved PDP governors held a crucial meeting in Enugu to review their strategy.

This was a sequel to a meeting between the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who is the arrowhead and the party’s presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar.

Those who attended the meeting were Governors Wike, Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and the host, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.

The meeting was held three days after Atiku held a private meeting with Wike where the presidential candidate pleaded for his support, ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

Atiku met with Wike, the Rivers governor as part of his renewed efforts to resolve the crisis between him and other aggrieved governors.

Wike and his colleagues, who shared his view, insisted on the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, as a pre-condition for a truce.

Atiku and his supporters, on the other hand, insisted that such an action could not be forced because it would be a breach of the party’s constitution.

As a demonstration of their seriousness, the aggrieved governors vowed to boycott all activities of the campaign council until their demands were met.

Others on the team of the aggrieved who boycotted the inauguration were Prof Jerry Gana; former governors Ayo Fayose, Jonah Jang, Donald Duke and Olusegun Mimiko, as well as former deputy national chairman of the party, Olabode George.

Don’t allow anyone to use you, Ex BoT Chairman tells PDP NWC

Meanwhile, the immediate past chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin, has urged members of the party’s NWC never to allow any person or group to use them against the collective interest of the party.

Senator Jibrin said in a statement yesterday, that the NWC, which must always show a good example in all party activities; once an issue had been discussed and agreed upon, must ask all members to abide collectively.

In the statement, entitled ” A Call To PDP Organs And All Members” , the Sarki Fulani Nasarawa State and Chairman, State PDP Campaign Council, said: “It is important that PDP remains calm and strong; talk with one voice, and remain focused to follow the path and objectives of the party to make sure all the elections are won in 2023, especially the presidential election.

“All organs of the party must, therefore, create oneness. All our elders, leaders, youth and women in the party must talk with one voice and must never create any division from now on, within the NWC.”

“I want to assure Nigerians that what is happening in PDP is never a problem, but a normal family matter that would be solved very soon. Never, ever mention that PDP has any problem. We shall soon take over from the ruling Party. Nigeria shall move forward. Cheers. May God bless all of us.”

(Vanguard)

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