By Sule Lazarus
Snr Correspondent, Yola

They could be expelled as the conflict in the state chapter deepens.

Elsewhere, more governors may be shown the way out. Likewise former PDP National Chairman, Audu Ogbeh.

A Presidency source and a PDP national officer from the North Central, said the governors who organised parallel congresses would go unless they apologise and retrace their steps.

He named Victor Attah (Akwa Ibom State), Orji Kalu (Abia), Rasheed Ladoja (Oyo), Boni Haruna (Adamawa), Lucky Igbinedion (Edo) and some leaders “who joined them in flouting the party’s directives.”

Despite the reconciliatory efforts of the party and the Presidential Peace Committee headed by Bamanga Tukur to broker peace, the two factions of the Adamawa State executives were inaugurated on Monday.

The one headed by Joel Madaki and recognised by the national headquarters held its inauguration at the Yola International Hotel, the faction loyal to Atiku and Haruna conducted its own at Ribadu Square, Yola.

PDP national officials who conducted the inauguration at the hotel charged the executive to ensure that the Atiku group sees reason to return to the mainstream.

PDP National Vice Chairman (North East), Paul Wampana, who represented National Chairman, Ahmadu Ali, said now that the executive is inaugurated, the ball is in the state chairman’s court to take any punitive measures against the “erring members.”

He stated that the PDP would only act on the decision taken by the state executive because what is happening in Adamawa is a deliberate effort by them to frustrate the party which brought them to power.

Presidential aspirant, Buba Marwa, advised the executive to work as a team to provide good leadership in the state.

He reminded the members of the enormous work required to expand the party base as most people who left out of frustration should be persuaded to return.

Madaki described the happenings in Adamawa as a rebellion against constituted authority which must not be allowed to continue.

“They fragrantly refuse to submit themselves to the national executive of the party. Whoever is elected as a leader on the platform of the PDP, irrespective of his position in government, is supposed to accord due respect to the national body”, he said.

The inauguration of the pro-Atiku executive enjoyed vibrancy as government officials, including Deputy Governor, Bello Tukur, turned up.

He urged the members to continue to fight for justice as no amount of intimidation would make them run away from the battle.

The threat by the PDP to sanction them would not work, he added, because the national headquarters is aware that “we are talking of reconciliation, and it is on course. If sanctioning us is part of the reconciliation, we are waiting for them.”

Factional Chairman, Elson Awano, urged the members to close ranks to build the PDP in the state no matter what happens.

Regardless, the PDP is likely to expel another five governors and Ogbeh at the December convention.

Some of the party’s founding fathers, including Ogbeh, have floated an alliance with a faction of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) to form a new party that would chase the PDP out of power.

The leadership of the PDP and the “rebels” have been engaging in a press war ahead of the convention just as some branches of the party have been announcing the sack of those who attended the rally of the Movement for the Defence of Democracy (MDD) and that of the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD).

A Presidency source disclosed in Abuja that all PDP members who associate with either the MDD or the MRD would be sent packing at the convention.

Said he: “I read the interviews granted by Audu Ogbeh in the papers and I laughed. He was contesting his suspension from the PDP, but does he still see himself as a member when already he is in the fore-front for the registration of another party?

“Let me tell you that all those who have anything to do with the MDD and Gambo’s MRD are no more members of our party. They would be expelled officially during the convention for anti-party activities. That is the position of the Presidency and that of the party.”