…As party organised valedictory session for NWC members
By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja
The outgoing national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has tasked the Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, to offer explanation to Nigerians, particularly the party members, on the processes that led to his nomination as governorship candidate of the party and tell the truth about the allegation of bribery made against the NWC members.
Both the outgoing National Secretary, of PDP, Senator Umaru Tsauri and National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan threw the challenge yesterday during a valedictory session Organising for the national officers of the party at its headquarters in Abuja.
The Uche Secondus led NWC categorically denied collecting any form of gratification or bribe before clearing and giving the party’s ticket to Obaseki to contest the September, 2020 Edo State governorship election, after he was denied ticket by his hitherto party, All Progressives Congress, APC.
Shortly after Obaseki got the PDP ticket,
the Rivers State Governor, Barrister Nyeson Wike had accused the leadership of the PDP, calling them ‘tax collectors’.
Wike, in a statement by his Commissioner for information, Mr Paulinus Nsirim, “They (NWC members of PDP) are tax collectors. Let them challenge me and I will come out with more facts. Nobody will rubbish me by raising false accusations against me. I will fight back”.
The governor said this in reaction to allegations that he is responsible for an order restraining Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, from participating in the PDP primary election ahead of the governorship poll then.
However, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ologbondiyan, who spoke first on the allegation, said, “Let me state without mincing words that the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, owes the members of this NWC the responsibility of clearing our names before the public.
“I will like to place on record that this NWC did not demand for any form of gratification from Obaseki before he got the ticket of our party.
“It is also important to restate that this NWC did not demand for any form of “tax” from Governor Obaseki neither did we collect same. He therefore owes it a duty to clear our names”, he said.
Ologbondiyan insisted that the outgoing NWC had done its best to reposition and rebuild the party resulting in regaining of some more states.
Continuing, the outgoing NPS said,
“Before the 2019 elections, we had already added three governors from Sokoto, Kwara, and Benue States.
“The Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives led a good number of their colleagues to team up with the party.
“The APC adopted a reckless maximum rigging to snatch Ekiti and Osun.
“We rebuilt the party in content and character and this made it an attraction . “We came out of the election with 17 Governors, the APC stole Imo State while three governors later left the party to pursue personal endeavours, which was not as a result of NWC’s fault.
“The 2018 elective National convention, which produced our presidential candidate was adjudged the best. It was keenly contested and not by consensus. At the end, none of the aspirants left the party.
“The NWC carried out reforms that stopped the use of Ghana Must Go to win nominations or tickets, restructured the workforce and adopted a smart approach.
“For many years, the party was unable to conduct online registration of its members.
“Today we have our members registering online and our party has become digitally prepared ahead of any other party in our country”, it said.
Also, the National Secretary of the party, Senator Umaru Tsauri said that the NWC members didn’t collect any money from Obaseki, before giving him the party’s ticket, saying that if anybody has anything to the contrary, such should come up with his facts.
He added that the NWC members, under Prince Uche Secondus, did not need any cover from anybody.
