By Rita Esegine
The crises rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be smoldering as the party’s stakeholders in a meeting on Tuesday resolved to allow the party’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus continue to remind in office till October when a national convention will be held.
The meeting comprising members of the Board of Trustees (BoT), members of the PDP governor forum, members of former governors forum, former ministers, former Senators, former Presiding officer of the National Assembly and various stakeholders further resolved that the National Chairman should call for National Executives Committee (NEC) meeting next week where members of the convention as well as zoning committees will be constituted.
Though the party was supposed to hold it’s convention in December, the meeting which lasted for about two hours reduced the lifespan of the present NWC by about 36days while Secondus still retained his position as the party’s National Chairman.
Speaking with newsmen after the meeting, at the PDP National Headquarters, Chairman of PDP governors forum and governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal called on all the organs and party members to work together and reposition the party so that it can return the the Villa come 2023.
He said, “As party , we are very happy to announce that we have discussed all matters and we have resolved to continue to work as a united family.
“This meeting has agreed that the NEC should be convened for the party to constitute the National Convention planning committee and the National convention should be held latest by the end of October.
“Also, the zoning committee for the party should also be constituted by the same NEC immediately.
“So we thank members of the National Committee for holding up. We thank them for their prayers and support. We also thank well-meaning Nigerians who have been waiting patiently for the resolution of these issues”.
When asked if the resolution was a subtle vote of confidence or otherwise on Secondus and the person to be entrusted with calling for the NEC meeting he answered,
“The NEC of the party shall meet most likely next week and all the issues will be addressed. NEC will be convened by the Chairman of the party who is constitutionally empowered to do so”.
He emphasized that the remaining PDP Governors have resolved to remain with the party adding that the ruling All Progressives Congress (PDP) has proper structure as a political party.
“You can see clearly that 13 over 13 of your governor’s your ambassadors are in this meeting, fully committed to not only resolving the issues at hand, but also working assiduously towards delivering good governance in our respective states and moving our party forward.
“We are committed to remaining in PDP. Disregard any rumour, every rumour that any of these distinguished leaders are going anywhere. We are in PDP, we are going to remain in PDP and by the grace of God who shall be working together to salvage Nigeria.
“If you say you’re going somewhere where? APC it is no party. They do not have a ward structure as we speak. They do not have a local government structure as we speak. They do not have a state structures as we speak. They do not have national structure as we speak. APC have never had, and is not having a Board of Trustees. So where are you going? Are you defecting to federal government? Federal government is not there because if it is there, asked my colleagues who are in APC. One of them came out to say that when his students were abducted that he saw no help. He received no help from the federal government, and he is a governor of APC. So what are we talking about.
“There is no party to defect to, there is no government to defect to. We better remain together and work together, reinvent our party, and work towards establishment of government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We are committed to resolving all the issues we have, and you will soon hear from us, what our own views and position are as your children, as people that you have facilitated and helped to put in office not your financiers”.
Following the resolution of the party, the tenure of all the NWC members is expected to come to an end on October.
