PDP Holds Emergency NEC Meeting Friday

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) woukd hold an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) today (Friday), the National Secretary of the party, Senator Umaru Ibrahim Tsauri, has said.

In a brief notice announcing the meeting with the title: “Emergency NEC Meeting,” Tsauri said: “All members of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) are hereby invited to an emergency meeting of the NEC today, Friday, January 17, 2020. Venue is NEC Hall, PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja and time is 10.00 a.m. Members are enjoined to attend as the meeting will discuss the state of the nation.”

THISDAY gathered that the NEC meeting would primarily consider the party’s guidelines for the various congresses in Edo State. The ward congresses ought to have started on January 15, but was shifted to enable the NEC approve the guidelines.

Also, the NEC as one of the highest organs of the party outside the national convention is expected to a take a holistic look at the Supreme Court verdict that nullified the election of Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as the governor of Imo State.

PDP had scheduled to address a press conference on Wednesday after the Supreme Court verdict on the Imo state election, but shifted it to after the NEC meeting to enable stakeholders take a holistic and informed look at all issues before stating the party’s position.

Another source said the press conference was shifted to avoid a contradiction of views with the position of the former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, who had advised PDP and Ihedioha to accept the verdict of the Supreme Court on Imo State governorship election.

The source added that NEC position on the state of the nation has become necessary in view of the fact that some PDP governors still have a date with the Supreme Court on January 20, when the apex court would decide on the petitions from Sokoto, Benue, Bauchi and Kano states.

Also speaking on the apex court verdict on Imo State, a former associate of President Muhammadu Buhari, Buba Galadima, has condemned the Supreme Court judgement.

“How Can Supreme Court Do That To Ihedioha And Refuse Abba? What has happened is that the Supreme Court has now tied itself. Because how can they do that to Emeka Ihedioha and refuse Abba Kabiru Yusuf in Kano? It was exactly what had happened in Kano.

“If an election had to be cancelled, it has to be at the polling unit level according to the Supreme Court. But in Kano, the votes were not cancelled at the polling unit; they were not cancelled at the ward level but they were cancelled at the local level. So, it goes without saying that Ganduje is gone, and anything to the contrary, will not be acceptable,” he said.

Meanwhile, on the crisis affecting some chapters, a top source within the party, has blamed the crisis in some of these states on moles within the party that worked against the party during the 2019 general elections.

The source told THISDAY that those creating the crises in the party were those “who ate their cake and still want to have it back.”

Citing the instance of the perceived crisis in Kogi State, the source said: “These were persons that worked against the party during the November 16, 2019 governorship election in the state.

“As we speak, one of the defeated governorship aspirants in the last PDP primary elections is still in court against the nomination of Musa Wada. The aspirant that lost the governorship primary election is now trying to control the party structures that he worked against in the state.

“The National Working Committee (NWC) did not interfere in the primary elections. The primaries were the outcome of the wishes of the people and as far as the party is concerned. You cannot eat your cake during the governorship election where you played anti-party activities and turn around to claim that there is crisis in the party,” he said.

In the case of Lagos State, the source said the tenure of the former state chairman of the party ended and a “congress was conducted in line with PDP guidelines and someone emerged. But someone in the state, who sponsored a candidate and his candidate lost to a popular candidate, is now shouting crisis.”

PDP had previously said a chieftain of the party in Lagos State, Chief Bode George, had erroneously misinterpreted the actions of the NWC with respect to the election of Lagos State Executive Committee of the party.

George, a former deputy national chairman (South-West) of the PDP, had in a statement, alleged that the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, would lead the party into “a comatose” if he continues to govern without recourse to the party’s constitution.

He had accused Secondus of being behind the crisis in the state chapter of the party, which led to the emergence of two state chairmen, Messrs Adegbola Dominic and Adedeji Doherty, despite an order of the court restraining the conduct of any election in the interim.

But PDP NWC said the decision to conduct a fresh election was taken in order to reposition Lagos PDP for future challenges against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

The source, while referring to the crisis in Kano State, told THISDAY that one of those claiming to lead a faction in the state, was a mole that worked against the Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso-led group that stood with the party during the presidential and governorship elections in the state.

The source explained that the other faction loyal to Alhaji Aminu Wali worked for the APC and wanted to reap where they did not sow by agitating to take control of the state executive.

“Do you want the NWC to reward with loyalty those who wined and dined with the APC during the governorship election?

“The party is on top of the issues and will take appropriate decisions that will favour the continued growth of PDP in Kano State,” the source said, adding that there’s no crisis in other states of the party.

He said in Plateau State, the former chairman of the party in the state, Mr. Damishi Sango, resigned his chairmanship position without any threat and a new state congress election conducted and enthroned a new state chairman.

“Where then is the crisis?” He queried.

According to him, Sango handed over to his deputy, Mr. Amos Gombi.