Date Published: 11/15/10

E.K Clark risks expulsion from PDP
…As President Jonathan insist it's Uduaghan

Chief E.K Clark

Former information Minister and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Edwin Clark may be expelled from the ruling party in what officials of the party consider as his “gross disloyalty to the party directives and position.”

Chief Clark, a die-hard supporter of President Goodluck Jonathan Presidential bid is accused of flaunting the PDP directives that all of its members work towards the re-election of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan who was the latest PDP Governor removed by a court of Appeal.

Rather, has been championing calls for the replacement of Dr. Uduaghan and calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to immediately arrest the former Governor. But the EFCC said it has no case or petition against Dr. Uduaghan while the PDP insist that it has no plans and would not substitute the former Governor.

A national officer of the PDP in Abuja told our correspondent that instead, the activities of the former Information Minister who is seen as a leader of the party has continued to heat up and disintegrate the party in Delta State.

“We are very much concern with the way the Chief has been carrying on and if he is not careful, he might be expelled from our party for anti-party activities. We expect that regardless of his hatred for the former Governor, we are all in the same party and if he has a personal problem with the Uduaghan, he should treat that personally and not bring it into the party.”

According to the PDP official who does not want to be named “the party has decided to support Uduaghan’s re-election and such decision is now a directive that all PDP members in the state should support the PDP candidate. Anyone who does not follow the directive will be considered to be disobeying the party and we have rules on how to deal with such situation.”

Sources told Pointblanknews.com that some Delta State party officials have also been looking at the activities of the former Minister with a view to deciding on the appropriate action to take if he continues in moves aimed at hurting the PDP.

While some are considering a written warning to Chief Clark, others are insisting that if his activities continue to give grave concern to the Party in the state, an expulsion would be considered.

“We respect him as an elder and we expect that he should behave like one. We are not happy that he has continued to say things that put out party at a disadvantage position. The party has spoken at the national level and even here in the state and it is expected that we all fall in line. If he continues the way he is going, he might be inviting the wrath of the party.”

Meanwhile, Pointblanknews.com gathered that President Jonathan at a recent meeting told Chief Clark that he has decided to back the former Governor for his reelection as that is the only way he is guaranteed Delta State delegates ahead of the PDP Presidential primaries.

Pointblanknews.com was informed by insiders at the Presidential Villa that Chief Clark had expressed anger over the President’s meeting with Dr. Uduaghan without his presence and had warned the President of his support for the former Governor.

But the President, it was gathered told Chief Clark that his decision to support Dr. Udughan was final as he cannot be seen to be going against the party’s decision to support the former Governor.