Defections From PDP To APC: Jonathan Summons State PDP Chairmen, Secretaries

Worried by the continued defection of members of the Peoples Democratic Party to other parties, President Goodluck Jonathan has summoned all the chairmen and secretaries of the state chapters of the ruling party to Abuja for a crucial meeting next week.

This, Saturday PUNCH gathered, is aimed resolving the crisis rocking the party across the country as well as at reviewing the extent of coverage of presidential campaigns by the respective state chapters of the party.

For instance, the Ondo State chapter of the party has been embroiled in leadership crisis since Governor Olusegun Mimiko and his supporters dumped the Labour Party for the PDP in October last year.

Despite the party chieftains’ efforts to convince his that they are working for the President’s re-election, continued hostilities across the lines have undermined all reconciliatory efforts.

The story is not different in all the other states and the President is said to be unhappy about this.

According to the immediate past chairman of the party in Ondo State, Ebenezer Alabi, the President knows that all is not well with the party in some states, hence the meeting.
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Saturday PUNCH learnt that a similar meeting was held two weeks ago at the instance of the President and chaired by the National Chairman of PDP, Adamu Muazu.

A leader of the party in Ondo State told one of our correspondents in Abuja that the President was apparently not getting the facts of the true situation of the crisis facing the states despite the reports of reconciliation so far made available to the party in Abuja.

He said, “The President feels he is not getting first hand information on the crisis, so he invited all the chairmen and secretaries to Abuja to brief him on the true situation with the party.

“Because if there had been reconciliation, why are people still leaving the PDP to other parties as the elections are approaching.”

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh, confirmed to one of our correspondents in Abuja that the meeting was supposed to have been held last week but was postponed due to logistics reasons.

It was also gathered that the meeting which might hold anytime from next week, would also be used to placate aggrieved members of the party.

Metuh said, “We are meeting again, maybe this week. The meeting is going to evaluate the campaign so far. It will also afford us the opportunity of putting our house in proper orer.

We were ready for the electrons before and we are also ready today.

Source