PDP convention may not hold in October

There are indications that the National convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not hold in October as proposed by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

Newsflash Nigeria had reported on Tuesday, August 10, that the National convention of the party will be conducted before the end of October.

The convention was initially meant to be held in December.

Recall that the crisis of the party started when the seven National Executive officers of the party had resigned in protest against what they called “poor leadership”.

The party chieftains in different letters addressed to the National Secretary of the party on Tuesday, August 3, alleged being sidelined and unfairly treated by the National Chairman, Uche Secondus.

The seven deputy national officers accused Secondus of not carrying other NWC members along in the scheme of things, adding that they were also not comfortable working with Secondus due to the recent gale of defections of party bigwigs.

But, Prince Uche Secondus, the National Chairman of the party had vowed not to resign from office.

The tenure of Mr Secondus and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) will expire in December having been elected for a four-year mandate in December 2018.

Meanwhile, the joint committees of the party’s board of trustees, governors gathered at the party headquarters for the make or mar meeting on Tuesday, August 10 and they agreed the National convention of the party will be conducted before the end of October.

But Newsflash Nigeria gathered that there are indications that the National convention of the party may not hold in October as proposed by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

Investigations showed the party has pending state congresses in at least nine states. Some of the states are Lagos, Oyo, Plateau, Adamawa, Kebbi and Osun. The party has also yet to conduct congresses to fill vacancies in the North-West zone.

In a televised interview on Tuesday, Wike argued that the party’s current NWC was incapable of leading the party to victory in 2023, citing the clamour among party members for a change in its composition in order to inject fresh blood.

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A source who spoke to newsmen said, “Holding a national convention either now or in October without carrying out due diligence concerning congresses in the affected states and the zone means that the states will not have delegates to the national convention. This is dangerous and could trigger another round of court processes that could affect the party in future.”

Besides, it was also gathered that there were no way officers elected would take office without the end of the term of the current NWC members whose tenure expires on December 9.

A member of the party’s BoT also said it might be difficult to hold the convention as suggested at the party’s meeting.

He said, “Governorship election is coming up in November this year. Then, we need to give the Independent National Electoral Commission 21 days’ notice before we can even hold any congress. We also have to do that (inform INEC about holding states congresses) in the affected states as well. And the party’s constitution does not favour or allow having a caretaker committee.”

In the meantime, different caucuses with varying interests are springing up in the party, two of which met in Abuja during the week.

First to meet on Wednesday was the party’s former senators’ forum, whose meeting was held at the Transcorp Hotel, Abuja.

Among the former senators at the meeting were three former presidents of the Senate produced by the party, namely Pius Anyim, David Mark and Bukola Saraki. The Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, and Senator Dino Melaye were also present.

Though it was gathered that the meeting discussed how to protect the interests of members of the party and also starve it of what a source described as “vultures that are bent on hijacking it to serve the interest of a few in 2023.”

On Thursday, the meeting of members of the party’s former governors also took place. Those at the meeting included Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Peter Obi (Anambra), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), and Bukola Saraki (Kwara).

Apart from these two “emergency” caucuses, the party also has other caucuses like the National Assembly caucuses, House of Representatives caucus, Senate caucus, former ministers’ forum, former national officers’ forum and others. The party only recognises the National Caucus, whose members usually meet ahead of the party’s NEC meeting.

Though not all the members of the caucuses are statutory delegates to the party’s national convention, it was also learnt that they might take a common decision on the crisis in the party.

However, there are indications that the PDP candidate in next year’s Ekiti State governorship election will emerge on January 28, 2022.

The election is scheduled to be held on June 18, 2022.

A document signed by the PDP National Organising Secretary, Col Austin Akobundu (retd), showed a table of events, which included a governorship primary election set for January 28, 2022. The document stated the Electoral Committee would oversee the poll.

Other events listed were appeals on governorship primary (February 1, 2022), presentation of the certificate of return (February 2, 2022), and certification of deputy governorship candidate by NWC and compilation of documents (February 3).

It added the last day for submission of names of candidate and deputy to the Independent National Electoral Commission (February 4, 2022), the last day for withdrawal and replacement of withdrawn candidates (February 25, 2022), and the last day for submission of agents’ names to the electoral officer of local government area (June 3, 2022).

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