WITH the general elections over, the race for the national chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the next dispensation has taken off. .In the build-up to the May 29 inauguration of the re-elected President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly in June, some members of the PDP and the opposition have started underground work aimed at ensuring that the tenure of Acting Chairmanship, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, ends soon. .Mohammed, who seems not to be comfortable with the development, has alleged that some mischief-makers are trying to cause distrust among PDP members.In a statement issued by his Media Assistant, Emeka Nwankpa, in Abuja last night, Mohammed claimed that some opposition members were planning to use the media to embarrass him through some spurious reports. .The Guardian learnt that even before the primaries for the general elections, there had been agitations by some PDP members that a new national chairman should be appointed from the South-East, which turn it is to produce Okwesilieze Nwodos successor. .Those asking for Nwodos replacement expressed the fear that if a new chairman is not appointed from the South-East geo-political zone before the inauguration of the new government on May 29, 2011, the zone might be shortchanged in the scheme of things since there would be no influential members of the party from the region to make a strong case for it in terms of political appointments.The zone, according to party sources, wants the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives. But other regions are opposed the South-East bid to produce both the Speaker and the PDP chairman.But Mohammed added another dimension to the scheming within the party last night when he alleged that plots were on to destabilise the PDP.He said the plots include the use of the media and some groups to cause disaffection among the party members and the leadership. .The Office of the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has uncovered a plot by persons believed to be agents of the opposition to use the press and social media networks to concoct and disseminate spurious stories about the partys current leadership to embarrass and tarnish the good public image of top leaders of the party.According to intelligence reports available to the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja, some opposition groups have hired and commissioned certain newspapers, news magazines, social media networks and fifth columnists to concoct and disseminate false claims and allegations against leaders of the party to cause distrust, discord, suspicion and disaffection in order to set them against one another thereby creating internal discontent and disharmony.The Office of the Acting National Chairman of the party has viewed the situation and has therefore alerted leaders, loyalists and supporters of the party to be wary of false publications, alarming leaflets, text messages, rumours and comments attributed to certain persons in the top hierarchy of the party, saying that these are mere ploys to createdivision in the party, the statement added. .Mohammed said the plot would fail, addingthat he is on top of the situation. The PDP chief said with the conclusion of elections in the country, some persons believed to be agents of opposition groups have nowshifted their conspiracy to our party with the aim of infiltrating it to sow discord and foment crisis in our fold.For the avoidance of doubt, no amount of smear campaigns, conspiracy or political shenanigans will stop Nigerians from keeping faith with our party as the outcomes of the recent elections have shown, he stated. .The Office therefore states that it wishes to use this medium to caution owners and managers of newspapers, news magazines and social media networks against being used as tools by those it described as agents of chaos, disunity and disintegration of the country masquerading as politicians.To the masterminds of this wicked plot, Mohammed advised them to use their talents to build the Nigeria in response to the repeated calls by the President-elect that all Nigerians should endeavour to putbehind them the sentiments on the outcomes of the recent elections and come together to build a nation that not only fulfils the dream of our founding fathers but a nation that will be cherished by generations yet unborn.
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