‘The battle is still on’ — splinter group denies resolving crisis with PDP

Emmanuel Nwosu, one of the leaders of Fresh PDP, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, has denied reports that the group is no longer in existence.

He said contrary to the reports that the group has pledged its loyalty to Uche Secondus, national chairman of the PDP, the is still active and is set to inaugurate its central working committee (CWC).

On Saturday, Olukayode Akindele, one of the founding members of the faction, had said the group was dissolved after a truce with PDP leaders.

“While today marks the end of Fresh PDP, it brings a PDP that is caring and wants to address issues that may affect it in the primaries,” he had said after meeting with Okwesilieze Nwodo, one of the party leaders, alongside other members of the faction.

But Nwosu has described Akindele’s claim as “shameful and most pathetic show of unbridled poverty and greed”.

In a statement he issued in Abuja, he said Akindele has no authority to make the declaration on behalf of the party.

He said those that had at various times, attempted to use the Fresh PDP platform as “a blackmail tool” for the extortion of money from party leaders have come to their ultimate end.

“No one in his right senses will listen to the characters that purported to have collapsed such a vibrant movement like the Fresh PDP whose ideology has spread across Nigeria like wildfire,” he added.

“For the records, my humble self and Rodney Odili-Obi were the initiators of the Fresh PDP. Every other person that joined the movement was allowed to be a part of Fresh PDP after expressing deep-seated desire to join such a noble cause that sesek to address impunity and imposition in our great party.

“They have now openly disgraced themselves as they exhibited their inordinate desire for cheap compensation against the high ideals of correcting injustice and ensuring transparency in the coming party primaries; which Fresh PDP was established to achieve.

“Let it be known that Fresh PDP was never set up as a money hunting platform, but strictly as the true PDP that will meet the dreams of the founding fathers of our great party. It was born out of the great necessity to address the injustice, impunity, imposition and corruption that characterised the 9th December, 2017 national convention of the party.

“No individual or group within or outside Fresh PDP will be allowed to negotiate for pecuniary gains using this noble platform. All those that joined Fresh PDP with the corrupt mind-set of pursuing selfish and divisive agenda; have hit the rock. ”

He added that the group will unite with the Secondus faction only when the party leadership “addresses the critical issues which we have raised and make firm commitment to ensure a level playing ground for all aspirant in the coming party primaries.”