Members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have passed a vote of no confidence on its national chairman, Uche Secondus, as plots to oust the embattled chairman thickens.

Sources in the party, including a member of the NWC, told Peoples Gazette the no-confidence vote was passed after the matter of his resignation was put to a vote at a meeting of NWC members in Transcorp Hilton on Sunday.

At the meeting which was attended by nine NWC members, six voted for Mr Secondus’ removal from office while the remaining three abstained from voting.

It is, however, not immediately clear why only nine of the 18-member NWC attended the meeting.

Those present at the Sunday meeting resolved to forward resolutions reached to the party’s governors’ forum, the Board of Trustees and the national assembly caucus for further actions.

Last week, the party was thrown into disarray following the resignation of seven national executives of the party who resigned over allegations of corruption against Mr Secondus.

Also, the National Youth Leader Udeh-Okoye threatened to leave the party if Mr Secondus was not removed.

The aggrieved members hinged their resignation on the inept leadership of Mr Secondus, asking him to immediately relinquish his position as the party’s national chairman.

Two party officials confirmed to The Gazette on Tuesday that National Secretary Umar Tsauri had already packed his belongings out of his office at Wadata Plaza, the party’s national headquarters, and was ready to resign in protest against Mr Secondus’ leadership.

However, former senate president David Mark while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the emergency BoT meeting held on Thursday in Abuja to arrest the development, described the meeting as cordial and fruitful.

Mr Mark said that the board resolved to set up a committee comprising governors, members of the BoT, National Assembly caucus of PDP, the NWC, former governors and former ministers to look into the matter.

Those present at the NWC meeting that was held on Sunday include Suleiman Nazif, deputy national chairman (North); Umar Ibrahim Tsauri, national secretary; Mai Adamu Mustapha, national auditor; Abdulahi Maibasira, national financial secretary.

Others were Udeh-Okoye, national youth leader; Taofiq Arapaja, national vice chairman (South-West); Ali Odefa, national vice-chairman (South-East); Dan Osi Orbih, national vice-chairman (South-South) and Theophilus Dakas Shan, national vice-chairman (North-Central).

Kola Ologbondiyan, national publicity secretary of the party, also a member of the NWC, failed to comment when reached by The Gazette on Monday.

Calls made to Mr Ologbondiyan’s phone were busied, and messages were not responded to.