Barring any last minute change, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum will meet today, in Abuja, to take a decision on the opposition its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for October 24.
Similarly, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) is also scheduled to meet today over Thursday’s NEC meeting.
A highly placed party source told Daily Sun, yesterday, that the NWC meeting which is expected to decide whether the NEC meeting will go ahead as scheduled, even though it is expected to be stormy, owing to the issues at stake.
This is the first time the NWC will be meeting after the intervention of the PDP- GF, which polarised the party’s organ recently.
The PDP NWC broke into factions recently, after a group of the NWC members led by the acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, in a statement by the party’s Director of Publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, announced the suspension of the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade.
Ologunagba, in response, announced the suspension of Damagum as acting national chairman and Samuel Anyanwu, as national secretary. He also announced the National Treasurer, Yayari Mohammed as Damagum’s replacement.
However, Bauchi State Governor and chairman of the PDP G-F, Bala Mohammed, after a virtual meeting of the governors last Tuesday, announced the resolution of the crisis, noting that all the party officials had been asked to maintain the status quo.
Nevertheless, Mohammed said the governors, the Board of Trustees (BoT), the NWC and National caucus would meet to decide on the October 24 NEC meeting.
However, after the resolution of the NWC crisis, gladiators in the PDP power tussle, shifted their attention to Thursday’s NEC meeting, where the party is expected to take a decision on the appointment of a substantive national chairman.
However, Daily Sun gathered that some party leaders, who want Damagum to remain in office are already pushing for the postponement of the NEC meeting. Similarly, party stalwarts opposed to the acting chairman are insisting that the NEC meeting must proceed as scheduled so that North Central, where the former national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, hails from, can produce his replacement.
A Federal High Court in Abuja, last week, barred the PDP NEC from replacing Damagum as acting chairman until December next year.
A party source told Daily Sun that the outcome of the PDP G-F meeting, as well as the NWC meeting, would determine whether or not the NEC meeting would be held on Thursday.
“You know, this is the first time the NWC members will be meeting after their fight. The Damagum supporters don’t want NEC to hold. They will likely be pushing for a postponement of the NEC meeting. But I am aware that those opposed to Damagum will insist on NEC. Tomorrow (today), the meeting will be heated,” the party source stated.
A member of the PDP NEC, Diran Odeyemi, said that in the aftermath of the intervention by the PDP GF in the crisis, which polarised the NWC, other issues affecting the party will be resolved at the October 24 NEC meeting.
Odeyemi, who was reacting to claims by some party chiefs that the underlying issues in the NWC crisis are yet to be resolved, said the governors have done the best they could do.
The PDP NEC member told Daily Sun, “It is one thing after another. The mere fact that the Governors’ Forum came alive to their responsibility of ensuring peace in the party is an indication that peace will soon return to the PDP.
“That is the first thing they ought to have done. All other issues will be addressed with them. And of course, the National Executive Committee meeting which is on October 24 will answer a lot of questions, particularly on all grey areas. For now, we need peace in the party. That is how far the governors can go.”
Meanwhile, the chairman of the PDP National Reconciliation Committee, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, said the panel would meet with the NWC today to brief the party organ on its assignment.
Oyinlola stated this, yesterday, while fielding questions from journalists at the PDP National Secretariat, after a meeting with the National Assembly members of the party.
According to him, “We have had useful discussions with them and I think there are suggestions that we have our party to unite. That is what has happened this evening.
“We are meeting with the National Working Committee tomorrow. “
