by Kolapo Olapoju

The heavy defeat suffered by the Peoples Democratic Party in the general elections of March 28 and April 11 has created a ripple effect of disaffection and conflict between PDP governors and national officers of the party.

The PDP was comprehensively thrashed on all fronts by the All Progressives Congress, losing the presidential elections as well as its majority in both chambers of the National Assembly.

The party also suffered a huge loss in the governorship election as it lost control of 8 states; Adamawa, Plateau; Niger, Kaduna, Benue, Bauchi and Jigawa, as opposed to the 21 states it controlled before the polls.

As a result of the evident decline of the party’s fortunes, governors elected on the platform of the PDP are reportedly clamouring for a total overhaul of the party’s leadership as well as the resignation of the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu and other members of the National Working Committe.

Although this has been denied by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, it is however strongly believed that the meeting of 19 PDP governors held between Tuesday night and early hours of Wednesday at the Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, was centered on finding new leadership for the part, re-strategising and re-positioning the party.

The governors are reportedly angling to take total control of the party, a move which prompted members of the NWC to rush into a clandestine meeting that was held in the office of the National Chairman rather than at the traditional NWC hall in the PDP’s Wadata plaza.

National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo; National Woman leader, Chief Kema Chikwe; National Financial Secretary, Elder Bolaji Anani; National Treasurer, Bala Buhari; National Legal Adviser, Barrister Victor Kwon; National Auditor, Wole Adeyanju; Deputy National Secretary, Onwe Solomon Onwe and National Youth leader, Abdullahi Maibasira, were reportedly in attendance.

The members of the NWC were said to have decided to not go down without a fight, as they have have vowed not to resign from their posts.

Sources privy to the meeting disclosed that the NWC members will be calling for a public hearing to ascertain who should shoulder the blame of the PDP’s woes, between them and the PDP governors.

The leadership of the party agreed that at the public hearing, members, stakeholders and leaders of the party would listen to views from everyone to determine the individuals and factors that led to the abysmal performance of the PDP at the general elections.

They NWC members also claimed that the governors imposed their candidates on the party during the elections.

While the public hearing is being awaited, some leaders of the party have reportedly intervened into the matter to resolve it amicably so as not to put the party through a conflict it may not survive.