The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has nipped in the bud the move by the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike to sack the National Chairman of the party. Uche Secondus.
Wike was said to have been behind the plots to throw Secondus out as the chairman of the PDP and to replace his leadership with an interim caretaker committee.
The recent resignation of seven members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) was said to have been part of the plots to oust Secondus.
Afraid of the party imploding, the PdP BoT, headed by the board Chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin, met on Thursday to resolve the shenanigans threatening to destroy the party.
FirstNews reported that Wike was at the meeting of the BoT members despite the fact that governors were not meant to be there. It was believed that he must have been summoned by the BoT over his plots against Secondus.
FirstNews learnt that the BoT members at the meeting repremanded Wike and Secondus where necessary but insisted that Secondus should be allowed to finish his tenure.
Specifically, the board, it was learnt, berated Secondus over his handling of crises in some state chapters of the party.
The BoT also asked the seven NEC members who resigned to withdraw their resignation.
According to a member of the board who preferred anonymity, “based on the outcome of the meeting today, members want Secondus to finish his tenure, We are not in support of any interim arrangement. We spoke frankly to one another and apportioned blame where we needed to. We looked at the bigger picture, the interest of our party.
“Most of the speakers expressed dissatisfaction with uncomplimentary remarks about our chairman by one of our leaders who was present.
“Referring to our leaders as ‘tax collectors’ and ‘liars‘ was an insult on all of us and we said so.
“Of course, there were those who spoke up about the shoddy treatment our chairman had given them over matters he was expected to handle better but did not.
“Some of our senior party leaders who recently left did so in anger because they felt badly treated in their state chapters despite staying with the party through its most difficult times.
“He was also told in clear terms to improve his relationship and interaction with members because politics is a game that also involves a lot of egos.”
Recall, on June 23, 2020, Wike had said, “Some NWC members are tax collectors.” He made the comment while announcing his withdrawal from the Edo PDP reconciliation committee.
Another source stated, “Just like many of our leaders including our ex-officio members have canvassed, the aggrieved persons who have tendered resignation and some who have threatened to follow suit were encouraged to rescind their decision in the interest of our party.”