PDP Moves NEC to Monday over Zoning of Presidential Ticket
•Reinstates Kano’s exco, approves Onu as Ebonyi chair
•Okechukwu: Blame opposition party if APC goes north with presidency
Chuks Okocha
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rescheduled its planned National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting earlier slated for Wednesday to Monday next week.
In a statement titled Notice of 96th NEC Meeting of PDP, change of date, and signed by the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the party informed all members of NEC that the May 5 meeting, has been moved to May 10, but that the venue remained the same and the time 2pm.
Anyanwu said the earlier date clashed with the local government delegate election involving all members of the party, however, regretting all inconveniences.
The NEC meeting is crucial to the party as it is expected to discuss the report of the 37-man committee, which threw the presidential ticket of the party open to all zones.
Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, has after an extensive deliberation and in obedience to the Order of Court, approved the reinstatement of the dissolved Executive Committee members of the party in Kano State.
According to a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP said, “To this effect, the Alhaji Shehu Sagagi-led Kano State Executive as well as all Excutive members of our Party at all levels in Kano State are hereby reinstated.
“Also, in obedience to a similar Judgment of Court, the NWC has declared Barr. Silas Onu the Ebonyi State Chairman of our great Party.”
In another development, a founding member of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, has said Nigerians should hold the opposition PDP responsible if the ruling party did not zone the presidency to the South again.
He said APC has been watching with studied interest, the desperation of PDP to prey on President Muhammadu Buhari’s 12 million Vote Bank, adding that as a political party, the APC has to fine-tune its strategies for the forthcoming general election.
Okechukwu, who is also the Director General (DG) of Voice of Nigeria (VON), reacted to the condemnation of APC’s indecision to zone the 2023 Presidency to the South by Middle Belt Forum, PANDEF, Afenifere and Ohanaeze.
He noted that although it was doubtful that any politician in PDP could sweep President Buhari’s 12 million votes away, PDP’s desperation to break into Buhari’s 12 million Vote Bank explained APC’s indecision.
Speaking during an interaction with journalists in Abuja, Okechukwu stated that, “Although one is not holding the brief of our distinguished national Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, one’s little understanding is that the leadership of our great party, is watching closely the desperation and antics of our elder sister political party, the PDP.
“They want to capture power by all means, indeed using Machiavellian tactics. We all know that PDP is famished, thirsty and desperate to win the Presidency in 2023. They loathe the loss of their slogan ‘Share the Money’ through their absence from power at the center for seven going to eight years.”
Explaining further why PDP should be blamed, Okechukwu said it was unconscionable and despicable that the opposition party should breach the zoning convention, which helped in no small measure to unite and harmonise the country.
