Rodents and weeds have taken over the national secretariat of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party.
A Punch Nespaper correspondent, who visited the
secretariat, which is located at Wuse Zone 5 in the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja on Wednesday, also observed that the policemen who
blocked the entrance to the secretariat since May had vacated the
premises.
secretariat, which is located at Wuse Zone 5 in the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja on Wednesday, also observed that the policemen who
blocked the entrance to the secretariat since May had vacated the
premises.
However, the three gates leading to the secretariat were still locked.
Unlike before when trucks, which were
occupied by riot and regular policemen were stationed in the front of
and besides the building, only a few security personnel from the Nigeria
Security and Civil Defence Corps were seen at the complex.
occupied by riot and regular policemen were stationed in the front of
and besides the building, only a few security personnel from the Nigeria
Security and Civil Defence Corps were seen at the complex.
One of the officers, who spoke on the
condition of anonymity, said that he did not know why
the policemen left the area.
condition of anonymity, said that he did not know why
the policemen left the area.
However, he said they were under “stern
warning to keep vigil at the secretariat to avoid any act that could
lead to a breakdown of law and order.”
warning to keep vigil at the secretariat to avoid any act that could
lead to a breakdown of law and order.”
He said, “You can see that we have not
opened the road in front of the building to vehicles and movement is
also restricted. We are under instruction not to allow anyone access to
the building and its environment.
opened the road in front of the building to vehicles and movement is
also restricted. We are under instruction not to allow anyone access to
the building and its environment.
“Thus, either policemen are here or not
does not matter. What is important is that the building is secure and we
are not going to allow anyone enter it until we get a superior order,
asking us to vacate.”
does not matter. What is important is that the building is secure and we
are not going to allow anyone enter it until we get a superior order,
asking us to vacate.”
In-fighting between two factions in the party had led to the deployment of policemen to guard the building.
A faction loyal to the factional
National Chairman of the party, Ali Modu Sheriff, once engaged loyalists
of the National Caretaker Committee of the party led by Ahmed Makarfi
at the secretariat in a free-for-all.
National Chairman of the party, Ali Modu Sheriff, once engaged loyalists
of the National Caretaker Committee of the party led by Ahmed Makarfi
at the secretariat in a free-for-all.
Our correspondent also observed that the
compound of the secretariat was littered with weeds and dry leaves from
overgrown trees.
compound of the secretariat was littered with weeds and dry leaves from
overgrown trees.
Also, the paint of the once-shining walls was peeling off.
Observing through two of the barricaded
gates, the correspondent saw that rodents were already feasting on some
of the books inside the buildings judging by the way some papers were
seen under its main doors.
gates, the correspondent saw that rodents were already feasting on some
of the books inside the buildings judging by the way some papers were
seen under its main doors.
Even the chapel inside the compound was not left out of the crisis in the party; its frontage had been overtaken by weeds.
The mosque, which is close to the
electricity transformer at the entrance leading to the National
Executive Committee Hall, is worse hit as its entrance has been
completely overtaken by weeds.
electricity transformer at the entrance leading to the National
Executive Committee Hall, is worse hit as its entrance has been
completely overtaken by weeds.
The party is currently operating in two offices within the FCT.
While the Sherif faction has its office at Matima District, the Makarfi faction has its own at Wuse 2.
Reacting to the condition of the
national secretariat of the party, Sheriff said he was not in a hurry to
move into it, adding that the courts would be allowed to make
pronouncements on its leadership.
national secretariat of the party, Sheriff said he was not in a hurry to
move into it, adding that the courts would be allowed to make
pronouncements on its leadership.
The correspondent, who also visited the new site of the party’s national secretariat, observed that no work was going on there.
It was learnt that the contractors had abandoned the site due to non-availability of funds.
Speaking through the spokesperson for
his faction, Mr. Bernard Bikko, Sheriff insisted that the impunity in
the party remained unparalleled, but he said he would stop it.
his faction, Mr. Bernard Bikko, Sheriff insisted that the impunity in
the party remained unparalleled, but he said he would stop it.
“We are not in a hurry to move in. The
courts are already handling that. But one thing is certain, and that is,
we won’t allow the impunity to fester again. We will stop it,” Bikko
said.
courts are already handling that. But one thing is certain, and that is,
we won’t allow the impunity to fester again. We will stop it,” Bikko
said.
Efforts to get the reaction of the
Makarfi-led caretaker committee failed as calls made to its
spokesperson, Prince Dayo Adeyeye’s telephone, were not answered.
Makarfi-led caretaker committee failed as calls made to its
spokesperson, Prince Dayo Adeyeye’s telephone, were not answered.
A member of the Board of Trustees of the
party, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, has, however, attributed the travails
of the party to God’s anger.
party, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, has, however, attributed the travails
of the party to God’s anger.
He said members of the party needed to
go back to God and ask for forgiveness of their sins, saying that the
botched national convention of the party in Port Harcourt, Rivers State
on August 17, was a saving grace.
go back to God and ask for forgiveness of their sins, saying that the
botched national convention of the party in Port Harcourt, Rivers State
on August 17, was a saving grace.
He said two governors of the party, one
from the South-South and another from the South-West, were bent on
destroying it through imposition of a national chairman.
from the South-South and another from the South-West, were bent on
destroying it through imposition of a national chairman.
Babatope, a former Transport Minister,
said, “They want to destroy the elders in the party. If we have had the
convention, they would have imposed a young man who had yet to spend two
years in the party as the national chairman under the pretence of
generational change.
said, “They want to destroy the elders in the party. If we have had the
convention, they would have imposed a young man who had yet to spend two
years in the party as the national chairman under the pretence of
generational change.
“The BoT has said that it will not be
part of that nonsense. This is a man who joined the party in December
2014, and apart from that, he must have a waiver that he didn’t have.
They are lucky the convention didn’t hold, because the party would have
been destroyed. We will wait until God intervenes and before He does
that, we need to embark on prayers.
part of that nonsense. This is a man who joined the party in December
2014, and apart from that, he must have a waiver that he didn’t have.
They are lucky the convention didn’t hold, because the party would have
been destroyed. We will wait until God intervenes and before He does
that, we need to embark on prayers.
“God will never subscribe to any illegality and that’s why He didn’t allow us to have the convention.”