Leadership Crisis In PDP Seriously Affecting Staff Salaries

Secretariat remain under lock and key without any court order
The daily bread of PDP staff has been encroached by the leadership crisis rocking the former ruling
party. The party is currently factionalised along two camps, namely, the Senators Ali Modu Sheriff and
Ahmed Makarfi’s camps.
Politics Nigeria learnt that for eight months, the once bubbling Wadata House Secretariat of the party
has been under lock and keys with scores of security agents keeping vigil on the party premises.
The leadership crisis that rocked the party after its parallel non-elective conventions held in Port-
Harcourt and Abuja in May 2016, led to the shutdown of the secretariat.
As each day passes, the staff appear hopeful but six months after, there seems to be no silver lining in
view, especially in the light of legions of litigations trailing the crisis.
The party could be said to have transferred its secretariat to the courts premises. Seeking a new start
for the party in the New Year, the staff last week protested against the continued closure of the
secretariat, saying there was no court order for the sealing of the complex.
Speaking under the auspices of PDP Staff Welfare Forum during a peaceful protest in front of the
party’s secretariat, the Secretary of the Forum, Dan Ochubaiye, said the appeal became necessary in
order to enable the party discharge its responsibilities.
It is only fair and just for the staffers to be allowed into their legitimate offices while the Police are
duty-bound to provide adequate security for them as provided in the Nigerian constitution.We,
therefore, demand the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Secretariat to allow the staffers to
enter their offices for routine party activities.
Perhaps acting on the pretext of their protest, Sheriff was said to have called for a parley with the
‘out-of-job’ staff but they shunned the meeting with the former Borno State governor, stating that
Sheriff unlike the other factional chairman, Makarfi, never called for the reopening of the secretariat
complex.
A statement from the Welfare Committee said the members of staff of party “unanimously voted to
reject the invitation by Senator Sheriff.”
As it stands, the over 80 staff members of the party are eager for the settlement of the crisis for them
to return to their offices but only time will tell when that would be. Until then, the secretariat is a no-
go area for them.