PDP NWC Intervenes in Kogi Chapter Crisis, Writes Caretaker Committee   

Chuks Okocha in Abuja  

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has intervened in the crisis of confidence between major stakeholders and the party’s Caretaker Committee appointed to handle affairs in its Kogi State chapter.  

This was the sequel to a vote-of-no-confidence passed on the caretaker committee by 18 out of the 21 chairmen of the party in the LGAs in the state.

According to a letter signed by the PDP National Organising Secretary, Capt Umar Bature (rtd), which was dated August 7, 2024, the party has directed the caretaker committee to desist from taking further actions inimical to the interest of the party. 
 Bature reminded the committee that the power to conduct congresses resides with the NWC and not any other committee. 
  “My attention has been drawn to the press release you issued on the above subject; for your information, elected state chapters or appointed caretaker committees do not have any right to conduct congresses/primaries – this is the constitutional powers of the National Working Committee (NWC). 
 “In view of this, you are advised to immediately withdraw the statement and refer to Article 4 on Page 4 of the Guidelines for the conduct of Ward, LGA, State, Zonal Congresses, which states that: ‘For the avoidance of doubt, the actual conduct of elections at the Ward, Local Government Area, State and Zonal Congresses shall be by the Congresses Committee at each level appointed by the NWC.”  
 Meanwhile, a pro-PDP support group, the PDP Frontiers hailed the NWC for averting what it described as an attempt by a few persons to cause an implosion in the Kogi State chapter of the party. 

In a statement signed by the trio of Alhaji Hussein Mohammed (President), Mr. Moses Abidemi (Secretary) and Mr. Dan Okafor (Publicity Secretary), and made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday, the PDP group accused the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Senator Laah Danjuma and Secretary, Senator Philip Gyunka, of trying to subvert the will of Kogi PDP members. 
 The group noted that but for the intervention of the NWC, the duo would have illegally replaced the results of a free, fair and orderly ad-hoc delegates conference of Saturday, July 27, 2024, with a manipulated process hurriedly slated for Saturday, August 10.