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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cannot choose leaders for the party.
The NWC, in a statement by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, yesterday, assured members of the party that the party was undergoing a rebirth under Turaki’s leadership.
The NWC was reacting to the participation of the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led caretaker committee in a stakeholders’ meeting for political parties organised by INEC, in Abuja, yesterday.
The PDP has been engulfed by crisis, shortly after the last general election, following a tussle for supremacy by governors, led by Bala Mohammed of Bauchi and his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2027 polls.
Last November, the immediate past National Working Committee (NWC) led by Umar Damagum, with the support of the governors, held a convention in Ibadan, where a new NWC headed by Turaki was elected.
The convention also announced the expulsion of the FCT minister and former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, among others, from the PDP over alleged anti party activities.
On the flip side, Wike’s loyalists constituted a caretaker committee headed by Mohammed to conduct a fresh convention.
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INEC, after a meeting with the two camps, last December, said it would await the determination of the suits relating to the leadership of the PDP pending before the Court of Appeal, to decide on which side to deal with.
However, Mohammed and secretary of the caretaker committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, were present at the quarterly meeting between INEC and leadership of political parties.
Nonetheless, the NWC stated that it expected the electoral umpire to take cognizance of issues pending before the Court of Appeal on the leadership of the PDP.
“We are aware that the Independent National Electoral Commission invited the leaders of political parties to a meeting today and extended the invitation to some former members of our party, who are purporting to lead a so-called national caretaker committee, to represent our party, whereas there is no such provision in our constitution.
“This action, though ordinarily vexatious and capable of causing widespread breach of peace, will be met with all possible legal responses. Though not unexpected of this current INEC leadership, it is expected that an impartial umpire would have taken notice of the pendency of the matters in the Court of Appeal (including the judgment which they are relying upon),which when decided, will effectively affect the subject under consideration; and exercised restraint, therefrom. We can assure that INEC will not choose a leader for our party.
“Consequently, we urge all our members to remain calm and hopeful that soon the Court of Appeal will hear and determine all the cases concerning the leadership of our party.
“We assure that the Rebirth movement of our party, under the able leadership of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, is steady and secure, and will ultimately surmount all these challenges, to present a stronger and more united party to Nigerians, as a credible alternative to the ruling party that has brought untold sorrows, tears and blood to Nigerians.”
