FG, APC Plotting To Disrupt Our Convention — PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the Federal Government and the ruling All Progressives Congress are planning to disrupt its Saturday national convention.

But the former ruling party was not categorical on the type of the alleged plots against the convention which holds in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

It merely said that the plots could come from many directions and through different means.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, made the allegation at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.

He said that members of the National Working Committee of the party, led by its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, met on Thursday and reviewed the alleged plots.

He said, “Part of the outcome of the meeting of the NWC today (Thursday) is to alert the nation as well as the international community to plots by the ruling party and the ruling government to disrupt our national convention scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt on Saturday, the 6th of October through Sunday, the 7th October.

“We are aware; we have been informed of machinations by the ruling government and the ruling party who is mortally afraid of any form of election to disrupt our convention and to ensure that we don’t have a presidential candidate

“We invite Nigerians to take note of this and we invite the international community to take serious note of the plots by the ruling government to thwart the efforts of the opposition to elect a candidate that will go into the February general elections against President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We invite all Nigerians to take cautious note of this development. However, on our own part, we wish to inform Nigerians, particularly members of the PDP, that the national convention where our presidential candidate will be elected, that has been scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt, to go on as planned.

“No plot, no plan by the ruling government can stop our national convention.

“They are machinations of all kinds. It can be through the court, by funding court decision. It could be any form of machination.

“We are aware of plots which include the effort to use the court to stop our national convention, and we are alerting Nigerians and the international community.”

He, nevertheless, said that the leadership of the party was determined to hold a transparent and credible convention whose outcome he said would be acceptable to the aspirants.

Ologbondiyan noted that the PDP had written letters to all security agencies to notify them of the convention, adding that accreditation would be done at the point of entry into the convention venue.

On whether the senator representing Ogun East in the Senate, Buruji Kashamu, was still a member of the party, Ologbondiyan said, “You are aware that the person you have mentioned had issues with the party and the party has taken a decision.”

Meanwhile, all organs of the party will today (Friday) meet with its presidential aspirants and key stakeholders to deliberate on a wide range of issues, particularly the conduct of the convention.

The aspirants are a former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar; Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal; Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo; a former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso; and a former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa.

Others are President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki; a former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark; a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki (SAN); a former Governor of Plateau State, Senator Jona Jang; and a former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

Others expected at the meeting are a former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, and Dr Datti Baba-Ahmed.

The meeting, it was gathered, would centre on the mode of the convention and the delegates list.

The meeting, which will be attended by members of the Board of Trustees of the party, will also be attended by other caucuses and will be presided over by Secondus.