Fear has gripped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over alleged plans by two of its governors to dump the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC), reports The Nation.
The two PDP governors in question, according to the newspaper are Governors Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and an unnamed governor from the Northeast.
According to PDP party sources who spoke to The Nation, party chieftains are worried about the intentions of the governors despite the tough stance of chieftains during its national conference in Abuja last week.
The source who is also a senator from the south-west told the Nation: “There is anxiety in the party over reports that two of our governors, not one, are currently negotiating their exit from the party. We are worried. Any serious party would be worried.”
“This development was widely discussed amongst participants at the last conference in Abuja though we all agreed it should form part of our agenda for the meeting.”
According to the newspaper, Gov Umahi’s relationship with the former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Pius Anyim Pius, has soured.
While the governor from the North East was present at the national conference, Umahi was suspiciously absent.
One of Umahi’s election directors in Afikpo, Azu Agboti, has already defected to the APC.
Agboti once represented Ebonyi South Senatorial zone in the Upper Chamber.
The source added: “Although it was not officially part of the agenda, the leadership of the party tasked chieftains on the need to remain in the PDP and shun all plots to decamp.
“And in various private discussions, the issue came up severally, giving indications that the party is really concerned over the reports.
“There is no way we will succeed in re-branding and repositioning the party ahead of 2019 general elections, as was planned at the confab if at the end of the day, it turned out to be true that two of our remaining Governors have been plotting to ditch the party.”
During the talks, members of the PDP allegedly discussed how to rebrand and reposition the party ahead of the elections in 2019. Some of the negotiations took place abroad to avoid the prying eyes of security agencies.
