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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Amid defection of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress ( APC), the opposition party has called off its 103rd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, scheduled for today.
The PDP national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, in a terse statement, yesterday, said the postponement of the NEC meeting was as a result of the recent development party.
This is coming as more members of the PDP continue to defect to the APC, with the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, ditching the party yesterday. Mbah is expected to be joined in the journey to the ruling party by state and national assembly members elected on the platform of the PDP.
Apart from the Enugu Governor, three members of the House of Representatives, elected on the platform of the PDP in Kaduna State, also announced their defection to the APC yesterday.
The three lawmakers, who announced their defection at the plenary, which was witnessed by the Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, included Abdulkarim Hussaini Ahmed (Kaduna South Federal Constituency), Aliyu Mustapha Abdullahi (Ikara/Kubau Federal Constituency) and Sadiq Ango Abdullahi (Sabon Gari Federal Constituency).
In recent time, several leaders of the opposition party, including Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevbori, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno and former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as well as several members of the National Assembly, elected on the platform of the PDP defected to the APC.
Also, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President, David Mark, have also dumped the PDP for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as well as no fewer than 30 members of the National Assembly elected on the platform of the party.
However, Ologunagba, in his statement announcing the postponement of the NEC meeting, stated, “In view of the recent developments in the party, the National Working Committee (NWC), …..
in exercise of its powers pursuant to Section 29 (2)(b) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017), has at its emergency meeting on Monday, October 13, approved the postponement of the 103rd NEC meeting to a new date that will be communicated to members in due course.”
The PDP had, at its 102nd NEC meeting, on August 25, ratified the zoning of its presidential ticket for the 2027 polls to the South, while retaining the national chairmanship position in the North. The NEC also scheduled its 103rd meeting for October 15, to review plans for its National Convention, scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Prior to the 102 NEC meeting, tension had heightened in the opposition paty, as warring groups expressed divergent views over the national convention scheduled for Ibadan.
The PDP governors, led by Bauchi and Oyo state governors, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT), Nyesom Wike, and his supporters, have been locked in a supremacy tussle.
Nonetheless, Wike had in a television programme prior to the last NEC meeting, denied knowledge of the party’s plan to hold its next convention to elect new NWC members, saying that NEC was yet to meet to take any such decision. He vowed not to allow any act of impunity in the party.
Weeks earlier, the FCT Minister insisted that the failure of the party to recognise the South-South zonal congress, which produced Dan Orbih as the national vice chairman for the zone, as well as its continued recognition of Ali Odefa, who was expelled by his ward, was a recipe for another crisis in the party.
