EXCLUSIVE: Nuhu Ribadu Goes Into Hiding In Abuja

As the opposition Peoples Democratic Party gets set to name a new leader of the party, governors and some other chieftains of the party are on a manhunt for a former chairman of the EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, in their bid to make him chairman of the party.

According to an exclusive report by Premium Times, a meeting of the national caucus of the PDP is holding in Abuja, after which the National Executive Committee would meet at the Wadata Plaza secretariat of the party later on Tuesday.

Ribadu was tipped for the chairmanship position, shortly after the then chairman, Ahmadu Muazu, resigned from office, but Ribadu afraid of some characters in the PDP who he had dealt with.

However, we gathered that the move, championed by governors elected under the party, was thwarted by the National Working Committee, NWC, under the interim leadership of Uche Secondus.

We also gathered that Mr. Ribadu who had earlier agreed to take the offer also abandoned it on account of “lack of seriousness to truly reform the party by its top echelon”.

After a long back and forth and controversy, including court cases, the party agreed to hold a special NEC meeting to fill the position created by the resignation of Mr. Muazu.

It was learnt that there are spirited attempts over the last few days by some top party chieftains to persuade Mr. Ribadu to take over the chair and "transform" the party.

A source privy to the goings on in the PDP said some of the party’s governors visited Mr. Ribadu in a last minute effort to get him to change his position.

The source said, “Since midnight yesterday, party chieftains led by a governor from the South-south region began a search for Ribadu, to no avail. The ex-EFCC chair was said to have gone incommunicado since last night, making all attempts to reach him impossible.”

He also said at least four governors of the party and other chieftains are currently waiting at the Bayelsa governors lodge in Maitama area of Abuja, scrambling to reach Mr Ribadu.

“Mr. Ribadu, is skeptical of taking the PDP job because of the battered image the party has suffered, especially with current corruption probes. He is also not confident that the party’s bigwigs would tolerate his radical disposition,” our source added.