PDP NWC moves to end prolong crisis in party, meets state officials

In a bid to end a prolonged crisis in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the National Working Committee on Tuesday met with State Chairmen to review the tenure of 26 states.

Tuesday’s meeting was one of the bold steps taken to ensure an end to the crisis that has weakened the party at all levels.

The National Organising Secretary of the party, Umar Bature told journalists before the meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by the Acting National Chairman, Amb Umar Damagum; the National Secretary, Sam Anyanwu, and others became necessary in order not to create vacuum or go into crisis.

“We are here to review the tenure of about 26 states, in terms of ward, local government and state. If you recall, most of the current executives in the states were elected four years ago, where congresses were conducted on a staggered basis due to the COVID-19 issues.
“We have about four, five states that their tenure have expired from the ward to the state, that is Edo, Bayelsa, Gombe and Rivers states, there are others which are staggered.

“So in order not to create vacuum or go into crisis that is why we have called this meeting. Also we have issues and crises in these states. We decided to call you for this meeting to interact with you on the way forward pending when the National Executive Committee (NEC) will seat and decide on all these.”

The NWC further warned the chairmen not to replace anybody when there are vacancies.

Bature said: “Also if there are vacancies due to death and resignation, please don’t replace any name, don’t fix another person for issues that will come up latter. If this meeting decides that everybody will go as caretaker, leave the EXCO the way they are.

“Submit the list to us as it is, if there are 15 people and five have joined another party, submit the remaining ten. Don’t replace them.”

He also noted what the state executives ought to do that they have not done, adding, “After the elections, we expected the state chapters to give us their reports, that is the post 2023 election result. A lot of the states have not sub-mitted their reports and we need those reports to be compiled for the next NEC meeting.”

Speaking on the rising agitations in the state chapters, Bature said, “A lot of agitations are coming from party members, suspend this, suspend that, you are the ones that are in charge of those states. You are to tell us who did anti-party and who did not do anti-party, based on that NEC will take decision. Write to us and tell us what transpired, no matter what happened.

“I also want the acting chairman to call on the chairman of Cross River to tell us what is happening in the state, because there are so many things happening that we are hearing in the media. We really need to know what is happening.”