The current crisis in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), assumed a new dimension on Wednesday, as a member of the Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), raised alarm over an alleged plot to scuttle the campaign of the party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Addressing newsmen at the venue of the inauguration of the presidential campaign council of the party, the party national officer and a NEC member, Chinemerem Madu, fingered an unnamed National Vice Chairman of the party as the brain behind the plot.
He also alleged that the National Vice Chairman, whose name he didn’t mention, has confessed to having been heavily bankrolled and is approaching and offering members of NEC sums ranging from N25 million to N28 million each to address a damaging press conference with fabrications aimed at derailing the Presidential Campaign.
He said: “Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are alerted of furtive moves by a compromised National Vice Chairman and a couple of members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to derail our Presidential Campaign and scuttle the deserving victory of our Presidential Candidate, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar at the 2023 general elections.
“This National Vice Chairman and his cohorts who confessed to having been heavily bankrolled are approaching and offering members of NEC sums ranging from N25 million to N28 million each to address a damaging press conference with fabrications aimed at derailing the Presidential Campaign.
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“The said National Vice Chairman had approached me personally as a member of NEC to inform me of plots to orchestrate a heavily funded Press Conference to be addressed by select NEC members seemingly calling for the resignation of the National Chairman, Sen. Dr Iyorchia Ayu, but actually targeted at frustrating the Atiku Abubakar Presidential bid.
“He pointedly confessed to me that the demands and agitation of his group have not been against the Party Chairman, as the public has been made to believe, but against Atiku Abubakar.
“He also vowed that nothing will assuage the group which is now bent on derailing the PDP Presidential Campaign.”
Disclosing when the plot will be hatched, the NEC member disclosed that it will be carried out soon after the inauguration of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council and the official commencement of campaigns.
He said: “Central to this plot is the timing of the damaging press conference, which has been scheduled to hold soon after the inauguration of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council and the official commencement of campaigns with a view to unsettle the PDP Presidential Campaign and scuttle Atiku Abubakar’s Presidential bid.
“Part of the scheme is to use the press conference to throw up a heavily concocted script which will contain unprintable damaging claims, assertions and allusions that will trigger confusion within the Party and sidetrack the Presidential Campaign
“The said National Vice Chairman informed me of how huge sums have been paid to certain media houses and social media influencers to isolate and escalate the damaging content of the press content and throw up negative narratives to frustrate the campaign.
“As a loyal and very dedicated Party man, I am obliged to alert PDP leaders, members, supporters and the general public and expose this furtive scheme against Atiku Abubakar, which is completely against the national interest.”
Warming PDP members and the general public to be alert, Madu added that any NEC member involved in such a press conference had obviously fallen to the juicy financial offer by the said National Vice Chairman and his paymasters.
