Workers and politicians within Nigeria’s opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have ganged up against its publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, following his role in the defeat of the party at the March 28 presidential election.
According to reports by Vanguard, Metuh who is the longest serving political operative at the national level, was accused of receiving luxury vehicles distributed by the then president, Goodluck Jonathan, during his re-election campaign.
But Mr Metuh denied the allegations against him. He queried the motive of his party members and asked why they went to press when the party allegedly was gaining momentum on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“For me it is more than a coincidence that issues like these would come up when we have gained the momentum on the ruling party and the government.
If the Publicity Department is making such an inroad on issues and making alternative proposals on government policies and making it hot for the DG of SSS and acting chairman of INEC, we find it more than a coincidence that the workers who administratively have been given letters by the secretariat for them to undergo a loyalty test because there were petitions that some of them are hobnobbing with the government, but what do they do? They turn back against only one aspect of the party, the Publicity Department, the one that is giving the government hell and they say, you publicity people are not doing well.
So, we find it more than a mere coincidence and that is why we are careful not to engage with them. Besides that we believe that most of our workers are loyal.
So we believe that going to the press is a very wrong thing to do. Ask them when husband and wife are quarrelling, do they take it to the market place or to the private house?” he told Vanguard.
Metuh is also believed to be under fire from various quarters in the PDP including PDP leaders in Anambra state. They were dissatisfied with the outcome of the recent congresses that saw Metuh in dominant control of the party in the state, and with the development between the party and the APC over the issue of the appointment of its new director general. They claimed that the DSS may have prompted the action.
According to reports by Vanguard, Metuh who is the longest serving political operative at the national level, was accused of receiving luxury vehicles distributed by the then president, Goodluck Jonathan, during his re-election campaign.
But Mr Metuh denied the allegations against him. He queried the motive of his party members and asked why they went to press when the party allegedly was gaining momentum on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“For me it is more than a coincidence that issues like these would come up when we have gained the momentum on the ruling party and the government.
If the Publicity Department is making such an inroad on issues and making alternative proposals on government policies and making it hot for the DG of SSS and acting chairman of INEC, we find it more than a coincidence that the workers who administratively have been given letters by the secretariat for them to undergo a loyalty test because there were petitions that some of them are hobnobbing with the government, but what do they do? They turn back against only one aspect of the party, the Publicity Department, the one that is giving the government hell and they say, you publicity people are not doing well.
So, we find it more than a mere coincidence and that is why we are careful not to engage with them. Besides that we believe that most of our workers are loyal.
So we believe that going to the press is a very wrong thing to do. Ask them when husband and wife are quarrelling, do they take it to the market place or to the private house?” he told Vanguard.
Metuh is also believed to be under fire from various quarters in the PDP including PDP leaders in Anambra state. They were dissatisfied with the outcome of the recent congresses that saw Metuh in dominant control of the party in the state, and with the development between the party and the APC over the issue of the appointment of its new director general. They claimed that the DSS may have prompted the action.
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