NWC CARPETS PDP REFORM FORUM OVER NEWSPAPER ADVERTORIAL

Members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, carpeted members of the PDP Reform Forum over its charter of reform released to the media.

National Secretary of the party, Kawu Baraje disclosed in a statement that issues raised in the publication were being addressed by the party NWC and wondered what fresh ideas the movement was canvassing .

The leadership stated this in reaction to the advertorial placed by the Forum in some national dailies.

Baraje stated that the persecution that members of the NWC were going through today is just because they had refused to allow themselves to be used.

Also, the party has invited the past National Organizing Secretary, Umaru Dahiru to come and explain the report credited to him that his NWC left N4 billion in the purse of the party.

Reacting to the advertorial, Baraje said, 'We wish to remind our party members and indeed all Nigerians that this ignoble campaign to discredit the current leadership of the party had its roots in our refusal to make ourselves rubber stamps for a few power- hungry individuals who wish to turn our great party to their personal estate.

The so-called 'charter of reform' as presented by them are issues that have already been addressed and taken root since the present National Working Committee (NWC) came into office in 2008. It would be recalled that the Prince Vincent Ogbulafor-led NWC on assumption of office brought out the Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed review committee to dust up the Alex Ekuwueme report.

'The Bello Mohammed Committee recommendations based on the Ekwueme report led to the current expansion of the democratic space whereby the party now operates on laid down rules rather than the whims and caprices of certain individuals.

'It is an irony that members of the so-called PDP Reform Forum never submitted a single memorandum when debates on the Alex Ekwueme report were going on as a prelude to the Special National Convention in 2009 that amended the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party. They have also remained silent in the face of current efforts to amend the party constitution to ensure greater representation of party members.

'It is also very curious to note the contradictions in the statements by this group in the act of mudslinging against the leadership of the party. 'At their meeting at the NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja , one of their members, Alhaji Umaru Dahiru carelessly lied that N4 billion was left in the coffers of the Party for the Prince Vincent Ogbulafor led NWC. Now that the detailed accounts of the party as at the time of take over have been published, they have come up with another fallacy, accusing the Party of mismanaging N500 million meant for the Anambra State Gubernatorial primaries.

'This is yet another futile attempt to unfairly cast aspersions on the NWC to justify their ultimate goal of causing confusion, contempt, hatred and breaking the cohesion within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).