[size=14pt]PDP Moves against Masari, Odili, Nnamani[/size]
From Chuks Okocha in Abuja, 04.21.2010

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday moved to wield the big stick against the arrowheads of the plot to oust its National Chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, accusing them of engaging in anti-party activities.

PDP also accused prominent Ijaw leader and Second Republic Information Minister, Chief Edwin Clark, of plots to destabilize the party due to alleged pecuniary interest.

Apparently toeing the line of governors elected on its platform, which on Monday upbraided those moving against Ogbulafor, the party asked those concerned to appear before its National Working Committee (NWC) tomorrow in Abuja at 12 noon.

Those summoned to appear before the NWC include former House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Bello Masari, former Senate Presidents Adolphus Wabara and Ken Nnamani, ex-Rivers State Governor Peter Odili and former presidential aspirant, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.

Others included former Imo State Governor Achike Udenwa, former Abia State governorship candidate of the party, Chief Onyenma Ugochukwu, former Transport Minister Abiye Sekibo, former House Chief Whip Bawa Buhari, ex-House member Awwal Tukur, Chief Sonny Iroche, Chief Tony Ukasanya, Senator Agboti, Senator Sylvanus Ngele, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, Chief Chris Ekpeyoung, Prof. ABC Nwosu and former Edo State Commissioner for Works Kelechi Igwe.

A statement issued last night by PDP National Publicity Secretary Prof. Ahmed Alkali said: "The said members and others, meeting under the umbrella of PDP Reform Group, are reported to be engaging or to have engaged in conduct likely to cause disaffection among members of the party or likely to disrupt the peaceful, lawful and efficient conduct of the business of the party or otherwise engage in anti-party activities or precipitate faction and belong to a group under the guise of the party by whatever name called, not being one provided for in the constitution of the party.

"In consonance with our commitment to the principles of justice and fair hearing, the National Working Committee of the PDP at its emergency meeting of 20th April, 2010 acting under and by virtue of powers conferred on it in Article 21.4 of our party constitution resolved to invite the following PDP members to appear before it on Thursday 22nd April, 2010 at 12 noon to clear themselves of allegations linking them to these plots."

Apart from summoning them, the party also strongly condemned what it called "the distractive activities of Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari and his cohorts operating under the aegis of an amorphous group, which goes by the name "PDP Reform Forum".

According to the statement, "The subversive activities of this group, which are well documented, amount to gross indiscipline and will soon be met with appropriate disciplinary measures to deter others who will wish to toe this ignoble route."

There have been fears in PDP hierarchy over the planned re-opening of a case file against Ogbulafor by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission (ICPC).

The case, which borders on campaign donations, had already been investigated and closed in 2004 when he served as the Minister for Economic Matters under President Olusegun Obasanjo and was running for the office of National Secretary of the PDP.

The move to reopen the case is believed to be part of the calculations for the 2011 election in order to change the PDP leadership and install those who are more likely to work with Acting President Goodluck Jonathan.

Ogbulafor is said to be very loyal to the PDP governors who installed him two years ago at the expense of Dr. Sam Egwu, Obasanjo’s preferred candidate. Obasanjo is a known backer of Jonathan.

A former aide to Obasanjo is allegedly co-ordinating the move to remove Ogbulafor. He is said to be well funded and has already identified Chief Bernard Eze as Ogbulafor’s replacement.

However, close aides to the Acting President told THISDAY that he is not be aware of the moves against Ogbulafor.
PDP Governors had on Monday after a late night meeting condemned any move to remove the party’s chairman or members of the NWC other than as laid down in the party’s constitution.

The governors also asked members of the party to ignore moves made being made by an “illegal group” to hold a meeting.

Yesterday, PDP commended Acting President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President David Mark, House Speaker Dimeji Bankole and all members of the National Assembly and all state governors elected on the platform of the party for the heroic roles they have been playing to ensure the growth and stability of the party and the nation in general.

But it accused elder statesman Clark of plotting to destabilize the party because “PDP refused to hand over its structures to him in Delta State”.
Lashing out at the former minister, the party said: "Our disappointment is particularly borne out of the reasons given by the 82 year-old frontline nationalist for his open war against the Ogbulafor-led NWC.

"We view this attempt to extend personal grievances to the political arena as selfish and unbecoming of a leader whose accomplishments and advancement in age should ordinarily be an inspiration to us all."
PDP reminded Clark that the era where organs of the party were unilaterally subverted and handed over to demi-gods is over.

Meanwhile, the PDP Reform Forum has replied governors of the party, insisting that the affairs of PDP must be run by men of integrity and people with proven track records of performance.

In statement signed by Masari entitled "Who we Are, What they want", the group said
"Our desire is that persons of proven capability and high integrity should be elected always to run the party affairs, especially as members of the National working Committee”.

As a reform group, Masari said, “our mission is to return to the founding ideal of PDP, re-engineer the party and make it more people oriented, more creative in the generation of party fund, streamline extant parallel structures in PDP states and ensure internal democracy.”

The group denied that they are rebels, saying, "members of the forum are bona-fide, authentic members of the PDP who genuinely and sincerely are concerned that the party has progressively and incrementally drifted away from its founding ideals and has completely lost focus under the watch of the current NWC.”

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