By Ummi Ismaeel,
Minna
Crisis is brewing in the Niger State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
A factional group, the Concerned PDP Progressive members, has accused the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, and the state party leader, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, of creating crisis in the party.
But the party’s Caretaker Committee Chairman in the state, Alhaji Garba Umar Chiza, has said that ther that there was no crisis in Niger PDP; but ‘‘political interests,’’ which he said, was not strange to any democratic setting.
The group also accused former Governor Aliyu of favouritism, alleging that he was undermining initial arrangements, which provided that former state executive members who were willing to re-contest their positions be given the opportunity do so.
Addressing journalists at the IBB Pen House, Minna on Wednesday, spokesman for the group and former Deputy Governor of Niger State, Dr. Shem Zagbayi Nuhu, accused Secondus and Aliyu of stealthily procuring intent forms for some members against the initial position of members during one of the enlarged meetings in the state.
“PDP in Niger State is drifting while the National leadership is absent-minded. In other cases, the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, is either aloof or complicit in the well-orchestrated plan to destroy the party.
“Several artificial issues have been created by members of the party”.
Zagbayi and his group also alleged that there were plots to destroy the PDP in Niger State and the situation was compounded by the fact that the Caretaker committee put in place refused to call for meetings where some burning issues would be trashed out instead of a situation whereby former Governor Aliyu and his group were working against collective decision by key stakeholders in the state.
They also said, “Some forms were secretly released to Talba (the former governor). We are not sure if the forms were paid for. Any step against the rules and regulations of the party or PDP constitution stands null and void”.
But the party’s Caretaker Committee Chairman, Alhaji Garba Umar Chiza, exonerated both the former governor and the party’s National Chairman from alleged plot to create crisis in Niger PDP.
Chiza told journalists at the state PDP secretariat that at no time was Niger politically isolated by the party’s National Secretariat and whatever is happening in Niger state as far as the congresses is concerned is applicable to other states of the federation and wondered why Zagbayi and his group resorted to attacks on Secondus and Aliyu.
The caretaker chairman described as unfortunate allegations of trying to instigate crisis in Niger PDP against Uche Secondus and Babangida Aliyu and attributed the scenario to lack of understanding and reflection of what is on ground.
