Major stakeholders in Bayelsa State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have insisted that the state Chairman of the party, Col. Sam Inokoba (retd), must be sacked, a decision that has put the camp of President Goodluck Jonathan in disarray.
The stakeholders were said to have decided to abandon the ruling party for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) if the Presidency continued to shield and protect Inokoba.
The crisis rocking the party took a dangerous dimension following the suspension of Inokoba by the State Working Committee (SEC) over allegations of financial impropriety including the diversion of N70 million donated to the party by the Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke.
The SEC was said to have sent a recommendation to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party that the chairman should be sacked. But it was gathered that the NEC was reluctant to approve the sacking of the chairman because of his relationship with President Jonathan.
Worried by the development, all non-executive officials of the party including tthe chairmen of the party in local government areas and wards were said to have threatened mass defection unless the chairman is sacked with immediate effect.
At a stakeholders meeting in Yenagoa, the stakeholders were said to have alleged diversion of the money donated by Allison-Madueke, just as the party leaders accused the chairman of incompetence and ineptitude.
However, a source who attended the meeting said the leaders’ threat to quit PDP was real and not empty.
“The party leaders also complained of chairman’s recent role at the just-concluded party primaries in the state where he moved against the popular candidates of the party and tried to connive with some desperate politicians in Abuja to manipulate the process in order to replace the names of candidates who won the primaries with his own candidates,” the source said under anonymity.
He said the stakeholders were further angry that whenever the chairman was confronted for his shortcomings, he boasted his connections with the Presidency and claimed his decisions were sanctioned by the Presidency.
“Even with his suspension, he goes about boasting that only the Presidency can authorize his suspension as a chairman of the party,
“He is quick to blame Governor Seriake Dickson for all his woes even in glaring cases of diversion and stealing of party funds.
“The key stakeholders are bent on his sacking if they must continue with his party. The call fr his sacking is gaining momentum.
“At this critical time of election, the chairman must be shown the way out if the PDP in Bayelsa is serious of winning the election.
“The President’s home state cannot afford to be thrown into chaos and be made to the way of opposition because of the greed and failure of one man”.