The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will conduct congresses in nine states today, ahead of the party’s much-awaited national convention.
LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that the congresses will be conducted in Lagos, Oyo, Adamawa, Kebbi, Borno, Kogi, Osun, Kwara, and Ebonyi States respectively.
Recall that the National Working Committee (NWC) had in July approved the timetable and schedule of activities for the year 2021 party congresses in the nine states.
According to the timetable, Ward Congresses to elect Ward Excos and three ad-hoc delegates have been scheduled for Saturday, September 25. While local government congresses to elect local government excos and national delegates have been fixed for Tuesday, October 5, 2021, state congresses have been scheduled for Saturday, October 16, 2021.
For Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Kwara, Adamawa, Kebbi, Borno, and Kogi States, the tenure of the Excos by Section 47(1) of the PDP Constitution (as amended) would be expiring, having been elected in 2017.
However in Kogi State congresses will hold only in wards and local governments, while in Osun, congresses are to hold in some respective wards only.
In Ebonyi State, congress would be conducted to elect a new party executive following the dissolution of the state structure after the defection of the state governor, David Umahi, and his loyalists from PDP.
Reacting, however, the national publicity secretary of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, told LEADERSHIP that the party is ready for the exercise.
He said, “Party electoral officials have collected documents and dispatched to their respective states.”
In Kwara, LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that the party’s stakeholders in the state had held meetings on how to ensure a hitch-free exercise that will launch the party back to winning tracks.
The PDP had ruled Kwara for almost 16 years before it lost out to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2019 general elections.
To ensure unity and cohesion amongst various interest groups within the party, the leadership of the party had constituted a reconciliation committee chaired by a former Acting national chairman of the party, Alh Abubakar Kawu Baraje.
Speaking on the preparations for the ward congress, a state chairmanship aspirant of the PDP, Alh Olanrewaju Okanlawon urged party members to shun any divisive tendencies that could mar the chances of the party winning the 2023 elections.
Okanlawon who noted that the PDP is blessed with a responsible and highly influential leader and former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, counseled party members against scuttling the chances of the party because of the scramble for party’s offices and positions.
The chairmanship aspirant implored members and elders of the party to continue to have faith in the party’s leadership structure and guide against infiltration by the opposition.
He commended the leadership of the party at both the national and state levels on the ongoing electronic membership registration.
