In what appears like a rescue move to save the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the crisis that may affect the party’s chances in 2023, the Governors Forum, Board of Trustees (BoT) and other organs of the party have brought the National Convention forward to October ending.
Recall that the party has been in crisis following the resignation of some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and the call by party stakeholders for the resignation of the party National Chairman over what they described as poor leadership.
The current NWC which has Secondus as Chairman, was elected in December 2017 for a 4 years tenure.
A reliable source told Blueprint that, the party leaders who attended the meeting agreed that if the party’s national convention holds in October 2021 as stipulated in the resolution, the current NWC under the leadership of Secondus would remain till December 9, 2021 to complete their tenure.
The source also disclosed that the party National Chairman, Secondus disagreed with the proposed date (October 2021) for the party’s national convention, stating that “it will be difficult to hold a national convention in October, because of the ward, state congresses and other constitution requirements that need to be fulfilled before the national convention.
According to the source, the meeting ignored Secondus caution and opted for October ending.
Addressing journalists at the end of the PDP joint stakeholders meeting that lasted two and half hours, Tuesday, at Part Headquarters in Wadata, Abuja, Chairman PDP Governors Forum, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, disclosed that, “The meeting deliberated extensively on the issues thrown up and resolved as follows: That the constitution, traditions and practices of the party should be strictly adhered to in finding solutions to any problems”.
Flanked by members of the BoT, Governors Forum and former Presiding Officers of the National Assembly among others, Tambuwal said, “There were extensive consultations with all major stakeholders in the party including the governors, members of the Board of Trustees, former presiding officers and current principal officers and leaders from the National Assembly, former governors, former ministers, and indeed other leaders of the party.
According to Tambuwal, this is “with a view to bringing all tendencies within the party together in view of the urgent task facing the party as the only viable vehicle to checkmate the abysmal poor governance of the APC led federal government.”
He explained that “this meeting has agreed that immediately the NEC should be convened for the party to constitute the national convention planning committee and the national convention should be held latest by the end of October.
“The meeting requested the NEC to immediately constitute a zoning committee for party offices and another committee for national elective offices”.
He continued ” the NEC of the party shall meet most likely next week and all the issues will be addressed. And that NEC would be convened by the Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, who is constitutionally empowered to do so”.
Earlier in his remarks, Tambuwal said, “We are committed to remaining in PDP. Disregard any rumour, every rumour that any of these distinguished leaders are going anywhere. We are in PDP, we are going to remain in PDP and by the grace of God, we shall be working together to salvage Nigeria.
“If you say you’re going somewhere where? APC is no party. They do not have a ward structure as we speak. They do not have a local government structure as we speak. They do not have state structures as we speak. They do not have a national structure as we speak. APC has never had, and is not having a Board of Trustees. So where are you going? Are you defecting to the federal government?
“The federal government is not there because if it is there, ask my colleagues who are in APC. One of them came out to say that when his students were abducted that he saw no help. He received no help from the federal government, and he is a governor of APC. So what are we talking about?
“There is no party to defect to, there is no government to defect. We better remain together and work together, reinvent our party, and work towards the establishment of government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he said.
In his remarks, the Chairman PDP BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin urged all major stakeholders and members of the party to shun personal interest, to give way for permanent peace in the party.
He added that “only when there is peace in our party, we can talk about winning the elections. APC has failed Nigerians and most citizens are waiting for the PDP”.
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus said the party would remain peaceful and united.
