Meanwhile, Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State, is agog as PDP delegates are arriving, for tomorrow’s presidential primary.
Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over alleged plots to disrupt its national convention, scheduled to begin tomorrow, in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State.
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PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, who stated this at a press conference in Abuja, after a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC), said the party is aware of alleged machinations to stall the convention, where its presidential candidate for 2019 will emerge.
Ologbondiyan alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government is afraid of the party’s rising profile and would not want it to have a candidate in the 2019 presidential election.
“Part of the outcome of the meeting of the NWC is to alert the nation, as well as the international community, of plots by the ruling party to disrupt our national convention scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt, from October 6 through Sunday, October 7.
“We have been informed of machinations by the ruling government to disrupt hour convention to ensure that we don’t have a presidential candidate.
“We invite Nigerians to take note of this and we invite the international community to take serious note of the plots by the ruling government to thwart the efforts of the opposition to elect a candidate that will go into the February general elections against president Muhammadu Buhari
“We invite Nigerians to take cautious note of this development.
“However, on our own part, we wish to inform Nigerians, particularly members of the PDP, that the national convention where our presidential candidate will be elected that has been scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt to go on as plan.
“We are aware of plots which include efforts to use the court to stop our national convention, and we are alerting Nigerians and the international community. No plot, no plan by the ruling government can stop our national convention.”
Meanwhile, the PDP has scheduled an emergence meeting of all its organs in Abuja today.
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All the party’s presidential aspirants are also expected to attend the crucial meeting. Although the agenda for the meeting was not known as at press time, party sources said it is not unconnected with issues surrounding the national convention.
In her reaction, Personal Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, dismissed the allegations as fake news.
Onochie said the APC-led federal government wants a credible opposition and as such, is not interested in disrupting PDP’s convention
“They are just being paranoid. That is what they would do if they are in our position. This is another fake news.
“Who has that time to be thinking about PDP convention when we are talking about our own convention? They know that their party will disintegrate tomorrow, that is why they looking for excuses.
“The government wants credible opposition, which the PDP has not been able to provide,” Onochie said.
Meanwhile, Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State, is agog as PDP delegates are arriving, for tomorrow’s presidential primary.
READ ALSO: PDP convention: Aspirants opposed to P’Harcourt against Rivers – Wike
Delegates across the country are arriving in buses bearing photographs of respective presidential aspirants. The hotels are also having a boom as the delegates take accomodation in the city.
More delegates are expected in the city, today.