Taofeek Arapaja, deputy national chairman (south) of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the party’s national executive committee
(NEC) meeting will be held on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday night in Abuja,
Arapaja said the 100th NEC meeting will be held at the party’s headquarters in
the nation’s capital.
BACKGROUND
The crisis within the opposition party has recently taken a
new turn.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Umar Damagum, acting
national chairman of the PDP, affirmed Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s national
secretary.
Present at the briefing were Bala Mohammed, governor of
Bauchi and chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum; Abba Moro, senator
representing Benue south and minority leader of the senate; along with other
party officials.
Damagum also disclosed that the meeting initially scheduled
for June 30 has been cancelled and that an expanded caucus meeting will be held
instead.
Anyanwu, an associate of Nyesom Wike, minister of the
federal capital territory (FCT), was affirmed after members of the PDP NWC and
several governors met with Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC), and other senior officials.
However, in a joint statement, 11 NWC members said Anyanwu
was not reinstated as the party’s scribe and that the NEC meeting will be held
on June 30.
The PDP board of trustees (BoT) also rejected Anyanwu’s
affirmation and rescheduling of the NEC meeting by Damagum.
Adolphus Wabara, PDP BoT chairman, said Damagum’s
cancellation of the NEC meeting is an “abuse of office”.
Anyanwu, Sunday Udeh-Okoye, and Setonji Koshoedo have each
laid claim to the PDP national secretary position.
‘NEC HOLDS ON MONDAY’
Arapaja, who was flanked by members of the NWC, said the NEC
will, among other things, receive updates on the activities of the zoning
committee and the national convention organising committee.
“By virtue of section 31(3) of the constitution of the PDP
(as amended in 2017) the Monday, 30th June, 2025 date for the 100th NEC meeting
is binding on all organs and members, and as such no organ, group or officer of
the Party has the power to alter, change, vary, veto or convert the already
convened NEC meeting,” he said.
“Contrary to a purported notice being circulated in the
social media suggesting that the 100th NEC meeting has been converted to a
special expanded national caucus meeting, the NWC states in clear terms that
the said notice did not emanate from the PDP and should be disregarded.
“The NWC emphasises that there is no provision whatsoever
for an expanded national caucus in the constitution of the PDP or any guideline
of the party.
“For the avoidance of doubt, section 30 of the constitution
of the PDP is unambiguous in providing for a national caucus for the party with
its composition, functions and meetings clearly spelt out, leaving no room for
any form of expansion.
“The suggestion, proposal or announcement for a special
expanded national caucus meeting’ is therefore unconstitutional and cannot take
any decision for the PDP being not a recognised organ or body in the PDP.”
Arapaja added that the PDP is guided by the party’s
constitution, due process and ethos of internal democracy, which must be
preserved always.
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