PDP BoT Grants Sheriff’s Request To Hold Convention In Abuja

• Gives Makarfi-led caretaker committee thumbs-up

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has yielded to one of the demands by the former national chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, to hold its next national convention in Abuja.

The BoT on Monday directed the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led national caretaker committee to consider Abuja as the venue for the next national convention as part of efforts aimed at resolving the lingering leadership crisis in the party.

While passing a vote of confidence on the National Caretaker Committee, the BoT charged the committee to, as soon as possible, convene a meeting of the National Executive Committee to approve proposals for moving the party forward accordingly.

The embattled former National Chairman of the party had given some conditions for resolving the crisis in the party, one of which is the holding of the national convention in Abuja.

Sheriff also demanded the removal of Governor Wike as head of convention planning committee.

In a communique read by its National Chairman, Senator Walid Jubrin, shortly after its meeting that lasted for about four hours, the BoT directed that a new convention planning committee be immediately constituted by the caretaker committee.

However, Senator Jibrin said that the Planning Committee, BoT should be approved by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) this time around.

The BoT communique reads: : “The next convention should be held in Abuja.To ensure a credible, transparent, free and fair convention, a new Convention Planning Committee should be constituted by the National Caretaker Committee and approved by NEC.”

As part of the plans to to seek alternative funding platform for the convention, Walid said that the BoT has accepted to facilitate the raising of adequate funds for the party.