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The 11 members of the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party are currently afraid that they may be sacked as soon as a new chairman is elected for the party.

A top source in the party’s secretariat in Abuja made this known on Sunday just as our correspondent gathered that a new National Chairman of the PDP might be selected on Monday(today)night by the party’s Board of Trustees.

The outgoing chairman of the party, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, who is the 12th member of the NWC , resigned his membership following his arraignment by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other-Related offences Commission for alleged corruption.

Our source explained that this fear was due to the fact that a new national chairnan could decide not to work with the NWC members. He added that some of the NWC members, in an effort to keep their jobs, had started granting interviews, saying that the party’s position on zoning might change.

He said that some members of the committee were of the opinion that such declarations could help make the Presidency to have a rethink if it was contemplating backing their removal.

It was learnt that the NWC members believe that Ogbulafor’s prosecution by the Independent Corrupt Practices and the Other-Related Offences Commission was becuse he publicly declared that the PDP presidential candidate for the 2011 poll would came from the Northern part of the country.

Although President Goodluck Jonathan hasn’t signified an intention to run, there are speculations that he is interested in contesting the 2011 presidential election.

The PDP National Secretary, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, had also restated Ogbulafor’s statement in an interview he granted a national daily. But the party’s National Auditor, Chief Samuel Ortom, said on Friday that the zoning arrangement was not final.

Ortom had said, “Though there is a position of zoning in PDP’s constitution, it is not a rigid arrangement. It is a flexible arrangement made by the forefathers of this party who wrote this constitution.

“I want to let the public know that since 1999 when this (PDP) party came into existence and started election and appointment of political offices, there has never been a time that anyone has been excluded who is interested in vying for any position in this party, whether you are from the south or east or from the north or west.”

He recalled how some other members of the party from the North were allowed to contest with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 even though the zoning arrangement was in place.

Our correspondent learnt that the fears of the NWC members were further fuelled by the position of the PDP Reform Forum, which has persistently called for their total dissolution.

The group meet in Abuja on Thursday. The meeting was attended by some former ministers who served under former President Olusegun Obasanjo administration. Obasanjo is the chairman of the PDP BOT.

Our source said, “At is now, the NWC members don’t know what is going to happen. What if the new chairman comes in and says he can’t work with us? What do they do?

“Don’t forget that something like this happen when Dr. Ahamdu Ali was made the chairman of the party. So, if it happens again, it will not be the first time.”

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP , Prof. Rufai Alkali, had said that the call for the dissolution of the NWC would not work because it was not rooted in the party’s constitution.

Alkali, in a statement to our correspondent on Sunday, said, “The main thrust of their agenda is their appeal to various levels of authority within the party and government to dissolve the National Working Committee of the PDP as presently constituted.

“This call is irresponsible, undemocratic, unconstitutional and a deliberate attempt to ridicule the Party’s laid down procedures. This call is not founded on any proven allegation of misconduct by members of the NWC.

“It is reflective of the arbitrary nature of the conveners who are used to the disregard of laid down rules and procedures in pushing through an agenda.”

Another PDP source told our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday that the main agenda of the PDP BOT meeting on Monday(today) night is to decide who would succeed Ogbulafor as the party’s chairman.

The top contenders for the post are a former President of the Senate, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim ; two ex-National Secretaries of the PDP, Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo and Bernard Eze; as well as an ex- Vice-Chairman of the party in the South- East, Chief Fidelis Ozichukwu.

The meeting of the BOT today is the aftermath of the disagreement among the 28 state governors of the PDP to agree on who will lead the party.

The decision of the board may likely be tabled before the National Executive Committee meeting of the party, expected to hold on Tuesday.

The source said the decision reached at today’s meeting would go a long way in deciding who would step into Ogbulafor’s shoes.

Our correspondent had learnt on Thursday that the meeting would make sure that the eventual replacement for Ogbulafor was acceptable to the leadership of the party and members.

“The choice of who replaces the outgoing chairman, Chief Ogbulafor has become a big contest and the party seems to be divided on the matter.Therefore, the Board of Trustees, which former President Obasanjo chairs, will be meeting on Monday night to try to resolve the stalemate,”a prominent member of the BOT who asked not be named said.

Also in the race are the current National Vice-chairman of the party South-East, Chief Olisa Metu; a former federal lawmaker, Chief Mao Ohuabunwa; and a new entrant, Chief Rex Onyeabo.

Onyeabo, who is a new entrant into the race, is a former acting National Secretary of the party in 1999. He was the secretary in charge of the convention that produced Chief Barnabas Gemade as the party’s national chairman.

The candidates are said to have the support of some governors, especially those of the South-East.

When our correspondent called Onyeabo on Sunday, he confirmed that he was in the race but added that it was not a do-or-die affair.

He also said that he had spoken with some governors and others considered as power brokers in the party concerning his desire to lead the party.

Onyeabo said, “ I am in the race. I have been talking to some people on the issue. You know this matter is not a do-or-die affair; but I can tell you that I am getting a favourable reply from the people I have spoken with, including governors.”

Specifically, the governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, is said to be rallying support for Ozichukwu, while some members of the House of Representatives from the state are rooting for Ohuabunwa. Ohuabunwa, who is from Abia State, was a member of the House of Representative from 1999 to 2007.

The governors of Ebonyi and Enugu States are said to also be supporting different candidates.

Before the failed Wednesday‘s governors meeting, stakeholders of the PDP from the South-East had scheduled two meetings to prune down the number of aspirants.