• NWC lobbies N’East stakeholders over candidate

• Uba brothers, Oduah take battle for senatorial seat to INEC

AS the struggle for the soul of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) entered a crucial stage this week, the party’s 12 governors have not been able to find a common voice on whom to pick from the North East to replace Uche Secondus as chairman.

The National Working Committee (NWC) has tentatively fixed this week for the National Executive Committee (NEC), which is expected to take a final position on the matter.

Meanwhile, the battle of the Uba brothers for the Anambra South senatorial seat has shifted to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja with the objective to pick up the needed certificate of return.

But ahead of the PDP NEC meeting, the party’s stakeholders in the North East have scheduled a meeting for this Tuesday in Gombe, the Gombe State capital, to strike a deal on who should be their consensus candidate for the party’s number one office.

It was learnt that the party leadership is yet to gain the support of all the 12 governors that currently constitute the PDP governors’ forum, regarding whom to endorse.

In the South West zone where the chairman of the forum hails from, it was learnt that there still exists some kind of coldness in the relationship between Olusegum Mimiko of Ondo and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State.

Fayose had been very outspoken against the alleged misdeeds of the outgoing NWC, an issue that some of his colleagues did not share.

So, Fayose would not support any candidate that enjoys the support of the current NWC. It was also learnt that two of the party’s five governors from the South were not comfortable with the Secondus-led NWC and may not support whoever the NWC proposes for the chairmanship position.

Another major problem being faced by the current leadership in endorsing a direct successor is the challenge posed by Gulak, who had written to INEC regarding his self-acclaimed Chairmanship of the party.

According to him, even the proposed meeting of NEC would be null and void without his blessing.
Gulak’s spokesman, Bernard Mikko, told journalists at the weekend in Abuja, that whatever decision taken by the various organs of the party would be “null and void and of no effect whatsoever” except Gulak is accepted in line with the court judgement.

He argued that the 14 days order given to Secondus, to vacate the seat by the High Court had expired without the party consulting to fashion out a way of picking another person from the region.
Mikko who said Gulak had informed INEC of all the developments, insisted that Gulak must preside over the NEC, BoT and the National Caucus meeting slated for this week.

Chris Uba has warned his brother, Senator Andy Uba, and Stella Oduah to stop parading themselves as senators of the federal republic.

He urged Oduah, his brother, and members of the House of Representatives who are not members of the Ejike Oguebego-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, to accept their fate with equanimity and go back home.

Oduah, Andy Uba and members of the House believed to have been ‘sacked’ by the Supreme Court last Friday have argued that they were not sacked. Analysts have called for a categorical statement from Chris Uba who described himself as the “senator representing Anambra South” yesterday accused his brother and Oduah of deceiving the public regarding their true status after the Supreme Court failed to recognise the manner they got their seats.