John Alechenu, ABUJA

Supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under the aegis of the Coalition of PDP Professionals, have said for the party’s National Disciplinary Committee to make the desired impact, it must first deal with glaring cases of anti-party activities as recently demonstrated by Senator Dino Melaye.

The Coalition, in a statement signed by its President, Engineer Abdulraheem Garba and Publicity Secretary, Mr. Gabriel Segun Adekoya,in Abuja, yesterday, said for true reconciliation to take place, discipline must take its pride of place.

The coalition which has as its goal the restoration of PDP’s lost glory said, “A few days ago, Melaye whimsically launched a mischievous accusation against the trio of acting National Chairman, Ambassador Damagum, PDP Secretary, Sam Anyanwu, and National Organizing Secretary, Umar Bature, alleging grievous wrongdoing all because they resolved to adhere to PDP constitution and INEC’s guidelines;

“his regular resort to theatrics, along with misinformation, mudslinging and innuendos on social media and in real life all singularly recommend Dino Melaye for proper disciplinary sanctions.”

The group noted that the party leaders at the national level exhibited rare courage in ensuring that an orchestrated plot by a minority to manipulate the recent Kogi State PDP congresses were thwarted.

According to the PDP coalition, their action which was hailed by most party members and lovers of democracy triggered the bitterness as well as vicious social media attacks on the party’s leadership.

They noted that Damagum, Anyanwu, Bature and party chairmen in 19 out of 21 LGAs in the state firmly supported the position of the PDP NWC on the ad hoc congress but that Melaye, the party’s Governorship candidate in the 2023 election; sensed defeat and instructed a few supporters to abandon the exercise midway in a bid to have his way but that this didn’t happen.

The statement also read in part, “…Turning down overtures for manipulation and upholding the very credible results of a free, fair process led to vengeful attacks on the credibility of Damagum, Anyanwu, and Bature who upheld the results.

“Therefore, we solicit the invocation of necessary structures within the party to discipline Melaye, review past cases of his group’s predilection for cooking up crises within PDP and vigorously apply proper sanctions that will serve as timely notice to others who may have a history of nurturing similar intentions for mischief within PDP,” they stressed.

Adding, “He (Melaye) did not call these party leaders ‘transactional and commercial’ when the process was skewed in his favour, (while running for the governorship of Kogi State).”