Silent On Secondus’ Fate, Fixes Convention For October 30
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, rose from the 92nd meeting of its National Executive Committee (NEC) presided over by Deputy National Chairman, Elder Yemi Akinwonmi announcing the party’s convention has been slated for October in Abuja.
The meeting attended by prominent stakeholders of the party, including the party’s presidential standard-bearer in the last general election, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, governors of Adamawa, (Umaru Fintri); Bauchi, (Senator Bala Mohammed); Bayelsa (Duoye Diri); Enugu, (Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi); Oyo, (Seyi Makinde) and Architect darius Shaku of Taraba State, also set up a convention planning committee.
Although the NEC fixed October 30, 2021 for the national convention, Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Wahlid Jibrin, said PDP has moved on, and that PDP remains one, capable of resolving its affairs, even as he disclosed that the vote of confidence passed on his leadership of the BOT has encouraged him to sustain the peace and progress of the party.
On whether the zoning of the office of the party’s national chairmanship would affect the 2023 presidential slot, Jibrin said more details would be unfolded in the days to come.
The party also said it would hold another NEC meeting on September 9, 2021 to approve nominations for various national convention planning positions, as well as zoning committees.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said: “The slots have been strategically distributed to various organs and caucuses of the party, which were expected to submit the nominations.”
It was learnt that NEC decided to throw the nominations to organs and caucuses of the party because of the party’s mood. At the NEC meeting, members showered praises on the party for the ability demonstrated at resolving its crisis, though no mention was made of the suspended national chairman, Uche Secondus.
They emphasised the indivisibility of the PDP and stressed the need to remain united as a party, while it works assiduously towards removing APC from government come 2023
The communiqué released at the end of the meeting urged members to continue to make personal sacrifices in the overall party interest. It condemned the gagging of the media by the ruling party and attempt by the APC and Buhari government to promote obnoxious laws against freedom of speech, as well as media practice in Nigeria.
In a speech at the opening ceremony of the meeting, PDP’s acting chairman, Yemi Akinwonmi, announced that all interventions towards resolving the party’s crisis had yielded fruitful results.
Meanwhile Secondus has denied he has stepped down, explaining he was just obeying Calabar Court interim order by staying away from the NEC meeting.
In a statement from his media office, the embattled national chairman said: “As a law abiding citizen, who has been an adherent of rule of law, as the basis for democracy, staying out of the NEC meeting was the right thing to do.
“Secondus’ four year mandate to lead the party given on December 10, 2017 ends December 2021. By this release, media office wishes to urge media houses and members of the public particularly beloved PDP members to disregard any news suggesting that he has stepped down.”
