In an alleged bid to create a rift between Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ahmed Nazim and President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, loyalists of PNC Chairman and Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla reportedly formed a separate WhatsApp group to undermine Nazim.
The group, titled “PNC MPs,” was created on Friday evening by Fazul Rasheed, Managing Director of Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and a close associate of Abdul Raheem. Screenshots reveal Fazul added several members to the group before making Nazim the administrator and promptly exiting the chat.
Controversy erupted as the group excluded key PNC figures, including Abdul Raheem, Parliamentary Group Leader Ibrahim Falaah, and MPs aligned with Raheem. The formation of the group has been interpreted as an attempt to strain the relationship between Nazim and President Muizzu, directly defying the president’s earlier directives against factionalism within the PNC parliamentary group.
The issue escalated when Abdul Raheem questioned who had created the unofficial group in the party’s official WhatsApp chat. President Muizzu also intervened, stating unequivocally that no group should exist outside the official PNC parliamentary group.
A source close to Nazim indicated that the group’s formation on a Friday was strategic, as Nazim is known to use WhatsApp sparingly on that day.
