The breakaway faction of the ruling PDP, otherwise known as the New PDP, has said that five state governors, National Assembly members and some former governors have since indicated interest to join its fold.
Towards this end, the splinter group said it had constituted a committee for the reception of the new entrants.
The group, in a statement made available to newsmen and signed by its national publicity secretary, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, yesterday, said theNational Working Committee (NWC) of the nPDP held its monthly meetingat the weekend in Abuja to review developments and chart the way forward for the party.
He added that the meeting, which was presidedover by the faction’s national chairman, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, also set up a six-man reception organising committee saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the reception in honour of the five more unnamed serving governors, ex-governors, “key” National Assembly members and others it described as “nationalists” of the PDP who, according to him, had decided to join the faction.
“The committee is headed by the national vice chairman of the faction, Sam Jaja, with the national organising secretary Nasir Isa Abubakar as the secretary of the committee.
Other members include the national treasurer Abubakar G. Umar, the women leader Binta Masi Garba, the youth leader Timi Frank and the national public secretary Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze.
The statement said the committee was directed to submit for immediate consideration by the G-7 Governors the venue, logistics and modalities for the reception.
Meanwhile, the nPDP said it had appointed its national organising secretary, Nasir Isa Abubakar, to replace Olagunsoye Oyinlola as its national secretary in acting capacity pending further directives from the G-7 Governors and its caucus.
“The nPDP said it welcomed the development and after considering the expert opinion of its legal adviser, Barr. Eric Opia, it decided that Oyinlola does not need any other oath of office to return to work as the party’s national secretary as he took PDP’s oath of office alongside other members of the NWC who were sworn in at the Eagle Square on March 24, 2012.
“The nPDP NWC is therefore of the view that Prince Oyinlola should resume office immediately without waiting for any directive from any quarters. Any other person who parades himself as the national secretary of PDP should be committed to prison for contempt of court,” the nPDP said.