Ahead of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scheduled for Thursday, the party’s Governors’ Forum and its North-central leaders may be heading for a showdown, which may threaten party unity.
The Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rose from a meeting on Wednesday with a resolution that leadership change would not be part of the agenda at the NEC meeting.
But as the governors met, the leaders of the party from the North-central zone also rose from a crucial meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, insisting that the zone must produce the next national chairman of the party at the NEC meeting.
The governors’ meeting, which had eight of the 13 PDP governors in attendance, resolved to work with the party’s leadership to resolve existing crises in the party.
In a communique read by the Bauchi State governor and Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed, it was stated that “the meeting reviewed recent developments in the Peoples Democratic Party and urged the National Working Committee of the Party to set in motion the machinery to conduct credible congresses in all the States where tenures of party officers have expired.”
Answering questions on the existing crises in the party, Mr Mohammed said the issues had been resolved and that members were looking forward to doing everything within the constitutional provision of the party.
“We are not here, this NEC, to discuss a change of leadership. We are talking about resolving all the issues and going forward, so that at the end of the day, the timeliness allowed in the constitution for congresses and what have you, would have been done. But certainly, the public is free to permutate, and discuss. Of course, NEC will decide on some of these issues,” he said.
Mr Mohammed added that though there were many, as governors, they would do everything possible to keep the party together.
“We know that there are some marauders trying to factionalise our party and take one faction to go and do coalition, we are not going to allow that as governors. We are very responsible and credible, and we make sure we resolve all the issues and unify the party for maximum efficiency and success in the next election,” he said.
In another development, however, leaders of the party from the North-central zone insisted that the zone must produce the next national chairman of the party.
They said that following the removal of the former National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, from office, his replacement should come from the zone.
The PDP North-central leaders claimed that there were plots to sidestep the PDP constitution and perpetuate the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, who is from the North-east, in office, when the position is zoned to the North-central.
Section 47(6) of the PDP constitution provides that “where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the party, the executive committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from to serve out the tenure.”
As such, the North-central leaders unanimously directed the party’s Zonal Vice Chairman (North-central), Theophilus Dakkas Shan, to transmit the position of the zone to the National Working Committee (NWC) ahead of the NEC meeting on Thursday.
A motion to that effect, which was moved by Tunde Ogbeha, a Senator, was widely supported without a dissent, as the zone is said to have perfected the arrangement to name Mr Ayu’s successor for necessary inauguration processes at the NEC meeting.
The North-central restated its position that Mr Damagum should immediately revert to his position as the Deputy National Chairman (North) in the interest of the stability of the party.
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