• Atiku, Wike absent as NEC receives Ude-Okoye’s nomination as national secretary
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at its 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, yesterday, deferred the consideration of the resolution of its South East chapter for the replacement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as national secretary to June 30.
It, however received the nomination of the former National Youth leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye by the South East chapter to replace Anyanwu as substantive national secretary.
The PDP, in a communique read by the acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, at the end of the meeting held at the Legacy House, Abuja, said the resolution of the South East chapter on the national secretary position will be considered on June 30.
This is as former vice president, Atiku Abubakar and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike were conspicuously absent from the NEC meeting,
The communique added that NEC also approved the appointment of Bayelsa Governor, Diri Douye, as chairman of the Zoning Committee, with the Zamfara governor, Dauda Lawal and Plateau governor, Caleb Mutfwang and vice chairman and secretary respectively.
According to the communique, the appointment of Adamawa governor, Ahmadu Fintiri as chairman of the National Convention Committee was also ratified. Osun governor, Ademola Adeleke will serve as vice chairman and Enugu governor, Peter Mbah as Secretary.
The crisis bedeviling the PDP assumed a new twist last December after the Court of Appeal affirmed the nomination of Ude-Okoye by the South East chapter as national secretary.
The former national youth leader was nominated by the zone to replace Anyanwu after the latter emerged as candidate in the last Imo State governorship election.
The nomination later became a subject of litigation with an Enugu High Court affirming Ude-Okoye’s nomination and mandated the PDP National Working Committee ( NWC) to swear him in.
The Appeal Court, Enugu Division, in a majority judgment upheld the verdict of the Enugu Court. Nonetheless, the Supreme Court in its verdict on the issue, overturned the majority judgment and upheld the minority judgment which stated that the issue was an internal affairs of the PDP.
However, while Anyanwu continues to insist that he remains the national secretary,the PDP Governors Forum, at a recent meeting recommended that the deputy national secretary, Setonji Koshedo, assume office as acting secretary pending the nomination of a substantive national secretary by the South East.
The NWC later ratified the proposal of the governors, following which the South East PDP re-nominated Ude-Okoye as its choice for Anyanwu’s replacement.
On Sunday, Wike, in a statement, said he was pulling out of all peace deals in the party, following the alleged violation of a gentleman agreement he reached at a meeting with Bauchi governor, Bala Mohammed, Oyo governor, Seyi Makinde and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
According to him, part of the agreement was for Anyanwu to continue as national secretary in line with the verdict of the Supreme Court.
Ahead of yesterday’s NEC, mounted within the party as members were divided on whether or not the meeting, which was expected to resolve the issue of national secretary amongst should go ahead as earlier scheduled
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) Board of Trustees ( BoT), Senator Adolphus Wabara, while speaking at the NEC meeting, said infighting and mistrust among leaders of the opposition party are militating against it.
He stressed for genuine reconciliation in the opposition party, noting that this is time for members to forgive themselves and forge a common front in the overall interest of the citizens, who are looking unto the PDP for succour.
“While we have faced internal and external challenges, and in most cases self-inflicted challenges, we have also witnessed our enduring strength, the strength of our ideals, the resilience of our structures, and the loyalty of millions of Nigerians who still believe in the PDP as the most credible platform for national transformation.
“But we must be honest with ourselves, there is still much work to do. Divisions, mistrusts, and lingering grievances within our ranks have at times hampered our progress and blurred our vision.
“As the party of the people, we must recommit to healing these wounds and restoring faith among our members. As chairman of the board of trustees, the conscience of the party, I call on all of us leaders, elders, youths, and stakeholders to embrace reconciliation, not just as a political tactic, but as a moral imperative.
“We must open our hearts to forgive, to dialogue, and to debate. No ambition, no grievance, and no misunderstanding should ever be allowed to override the collective interests of our party and the hopes of the Nigerian people who are yearning for our return to national leadership.
“Let us initiate a genuine and structural reconciliation process led by respected elders that reaches down to the grassroots and extends a hand of peace to all aggrieved members, both old and new. Our doors must remain wide open to fresh ideas, open to new members, open to all Nigerians who believe in justice, equity, and good governance. As we reconcile with one another, we must also expand our reach.
“The ordinary Nigerian is tired, tired of hardship, tired of insecurity, tired of unfaithful promises, unfulfilled promises. They are looking for leadership that listens, leadership that delivers, and leadership that reacts.
“Let the PDP rise to the occasion. Let us strengthen our internal democracy, revamp our communication channels, and prioritize policies that directly touch the lives of everyday Nigerians.
“Let this 99th meeting be remembered as a turning point, a moment where we chose unity over division, hope over despair, and service over self-interest.
Let us go back to the grassroots with a renewed spirit, a clear purpose, and a firm resolve to reclaim our place as the party that not only knows Nigeria, but truly loves Nigeria. “
Earlier, Damagum, in his opening remarks, said the party decided to proceed with the meeting against all odds. He noted that though the opposition party is confronted with some challenges, what stands the PDP out is its ability to resolve its challenges.
He stated that while some persons outside the party are watching to see how it will resolve the current crisis, the PDP would continue to overcome its challenges.
“I want to also reiterate that the beauty of PDP is that it has always had an internal mechanism to surmount whatever obstacle. And this is one of them.
“People are outside there waiting for this opportunity to see whether we are able to surmount all these problems that are self-inflicted and somehow engineered from some quarters. But with the help of God, we continue to overcome. They will put obstacles and we will surmount it until we show them the way out. “
The PDP leader, while thanking the governors for making the NEC meeting possible, said the party organ would still have at least two more meetings of the party organ before the National Convention, which is tentatively slated for August 28-30, to consider other critical issues.
The meeting was attended by Governors Bala Mohammed, Bauchi; Ahmadu Fintiri, Adamawa; Caleb Mutfwang, Plateau; Seyi Makinde, Oyo; Dauda Lawal, Zamfara, Ademola Adeleke, Osun, Senator Seriake Dickson, Ahmed Makarfi amongst others.