From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) has said there was no going back on its 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for June 30, 2025.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, who stated this, at a press briefing, in Abuja, yesterday, said the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) was not in a position to dictate to the party on its meetings. Ologunagba, who accused INEC of allegedly working with the All Progressives Congress ( APC) to stifle the opposition, faulted the electoral body’s correspondence rejecting the PDP’s notice on its forthcoming NEC meeting.

The opposition party spokesman, who added that there was more to the letter than meets the eyes, said it was surprising that the INEC’s letter, which was dated June 13, was delivered to the PDP on June 19, six days, after the correspondence has trended on social media.

“We sent a letter on May 30 and INEC received it the same day. See the curious part of it. INEC wrote its letter on the June 13 and did not bring the letter here until the 19. But they released it to the social media one week ahead. I mean, this is a question to ask. The letter was dated June 13. It was received here on June 19,” he said.

Furthermore, Ologunagba, while stating that the Supreme Court had already ruled that the court does not have jurisdiction over the internal affairs of a political party, said it was not in the place of INEC to dictate for the PDP, who signs its letters.

According to him, “If the court will not have jurisdiction about what happened with the internal affairs of the party, I wonder why INEC will have jurisdiction over it because that is not the job of INEC. If we designate somebody to be the person to sign the letter, so be it. And that’s why it’s an internal affair of the party.

“The letter was dated June 13. It took INEC thirteen days. Why the desperation to kill political parties? All they need is one party state, stifle opposition. Which is just, like I’ve said earlier here, it’s wishful thinking, it’s hallucination. 

“And INEC should know that this is hallucinating. This country will not go into a one-party state and nobody, no matter how powerful, whether you’re a president or you’re a combination of presidents, it will not work.”

INEC had in a letter, dated June 13, rejected a correspondence by the opposition party, notifying it of its 100th NEC. The PDP, in a May 30 letter, by its acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, notified the electoral body of its forthcoming NEC meeting.

Nonetheless, INEC, in a letter with reference number INEC/DEPM/ PDP/286/iii/80 titled “Re: Notice of 100th National Executive Committee Meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party,” which was signed by its acting secretary, Haliru Aminu, said the opposition party contravened the guidelines for political parties.

The letter said: “The Commission draws your attention that the notice is not in compliance with the requirements of  part 2(12)3  of Regulations and Guidelines for political parties, 2022, that provides ‘ the national chairman and national secretary of the party shall jointly sign the notice of convention, congress, conference or meeting and submit same to the Commission.’ Be guided.”

However, Ologunagba explained that the PDP merely informed INEC about its pending NEC meeting out of courtesy, as it was not mandatory for it to notify the electoral body. He explained that the NEC meeting was a routine parley of the organ of the opposition party, which does not require the presence of the electoral body.

According to him, the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for political parties, which the commission referenced, is only applicable when political parties are holding meetings for the purposes of merger, nomination of candidates and election of new leaders.

Ologunagba said: “We never mentioned here that that we are conducting a meeting to elect officers.  We didn’t say we are going to do primaries to get nominated for an elective position. We didn’t say we are meeting because we are considering possibility of merger. So, where did Halilu Aminu, acting INEC Secretary get that from?

“So, he decided on his own to import a purpose for a meeting to satisfy some vested interest on what we are getting from the grapevine to ensure that they can continue to stifle the capacity of PDP to do his things in line with this Constitution.”

He added that the All Progressives Congress ( APC) knows that it cannot succeed in its alleged plan to stifle the opposition party.

“APC knows it. You cannot succeed. You brought so many fights into this party. But you will see us moving from strength to strength slowly but surely and we will.  Beyond that, Nigerian people are interested. Nigerian people are not defecting. How can they defect when you see what happened in Benue where 200 people were roasted in their homes.

“The president needs to be urged by the Pope to go there. He was urged by the PDP to go there before he went there. They don’t feel us. APC doesn’t feel us. They can’t understand us. They can’t connect with the Nigerian people,” Ologunagba said.