The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is due to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday following the crisis rocking the party.
Select members of the board, it was learnt, met on Wednesday to prepare ground for Thursday’s meeting.
BoT chairman, Walid Jibrin. confirmed that the Thursday meeting is cogent in order to review the current situation within the party and mend fences.
Mass exodus of top chieftains has griped the party as internal discontent festered.
On Wednesday, a member of the Board of Trustees of the party, Senator Joy Emordi, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Chairman, APC caretaker committee and Yobe state Governor, Mai Mala Buni, formally received the senator in a brief ceremony in Abuja.
A statement by Buni’s Director-General, Press, and Media, Mamman Mohammed quoted Emordi as saying that she was convinced that “the future of a prosperous and united Nigeria lies in the APC”.
Emordi’s defection came a day after seven members of the National Working Committee resigned from the party, citing “bad treatment” by the PDP National Chairman as the reason for their action.
The affected officers include Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Diran Odeyemi; Deputy National Legal Adviser, Ahmed Liman; Deputy Women Leader, Umoru Hadizat; Deputy Auditor, Divine Arong; Deputy National Organising Secretary, Hassan Yakubu; Deputy Financial Secretary, Irona Alphonsus and one other whose identity was not known.
The main opposition party also lost three sitting governors at different times to the ruling APC.
They are David Nweze Umahi of Ebonyi State; Ben Ayade, Cross River and Bello Mohammed Matawalle of Zamfara State respectively.
There were reports of purported move by certain elements within the party to remove the party’s National Chairman, Uche Secondus to pave way for Caretaker Committee to oversee things before the national convention.
Secondus has indicated interest to contest for the party’s chairmanship for a second term.
He raised an alarm on Wednesday over alleged plot to remove him by a powerful chieftain of the party.
His Special Adviser on Media, Mr Ike Abonyi, in a statement said a “strong party chieftain” is behind the move remove the chairman.
“Few months to National Convention anybody who means well for this party and who is a true democrat should respect the constitution of the party and approach issues dispassionately.
Although the statement failed to name the chieftain, media reports quoting unnamed sources alleged bad blood between Nyesom Wike, Rivers State Governor and Secondus.
The reports said the plot to remove the chairman before the NEC meeting which comes soon, was part of the larger move to scuttle his reelection at the National Convention in November.
The reports, however, said Sokoto State Governor and Chairman PDP’s Governors Forum, Aminu Tambuwal, has been rallying members to safe the chairman from removal.
During a meeting summoned at the instances of the Secondus on Wednesday, the NWC promised the crisis within the party would be resolved.
The National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan said the party has activated internal conflict resolution mechanism to resolve all issues.
“The NWC assures that it has already activated the internal conflict resolution mechanism of the party to ensure amicable resolution of all issues. It assures all members of the party that it is taking urgent steps to ensure decisions that will strengthen our great party for the task ahead.
“This is particularly at this time Nigerians are looking up to the PDP for direction and solutions,” he said, urging all PDP members to remain calm.
