The internal crisis rocking Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has deepened with the insistence of a leading chieftain of the party, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi to contest for the office of the party’s national chairman’ position in defiance of the party’s directive.
PDP leaders from the Southern part of the country had met in Port –Harcourt last Thursday, and at the end of their meeting, zoned the position of the national chairman of the party to the South-West.
But Dokpesi, who is from the South-South zone represented by one of his sons had gone ahead to pick the party’s nomination form after paying the mandatory N1m at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.
There are however fears that Dokpesi’s action will not only polarise the party but plunge it into further crisis ahead of its convention coming up on August 17 in Port-harcourt, Rivers State.
The son, Raymond Jnr, who picked the form for his dad however refused to speak with journalists after collecting the form.
The leaders of the party from the southern part of the country met in Port Harcourt on Thursday where the decision to zone the office to the South-West was taken.
The Port- Harcourt meeting had in attendance some governors, National Assembly members and former ministers.
The leaders also zoned the positions of National Treasurer and Deputy National Publicity Secretary to the South-West.
The party zoned the position of first Deputy National Chairman to the South-South. This zone also got the positions of National Legal Adviser, Deputy National Woman Leader and Deputy National Auditor.
The South-East got the the offices of the National Organising Secretary, National Youth Leader and Deputy National Financial Secretary.
Before the zoning, there were indications that two other persons from the South-South were eyeing the office of the national chairman. They are Prince Uche Secondus and Austin Okpara.
It is believed that the two men, who are from Rivers State, have agreed with the decision of the leaders of the party on the zoning and had jettisoned their ambitions.