PDP crisis: Governors yet to reach resolution after meeting for hours, to reconvene Tuesday

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) met behind closed doors, on Monday, to discuss issues affecting the party.

The governors met for several hours in Abuja, after which they announced that another meeting with party stakeholders has been scheduled for Tuesday.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto and chairman of the PDP governors’ forum, said the governors are working on efforts to resolve the crisis.

“We discussed extensively on matters of the moment concerning our party and we have collectively resolved to continue to work together in unity,” he said.

“This meeting will continue tomorrow with other stakeholders. Very soon Nigerians, and indeed, all of you will hear our solution, but we are working towards resolving all issues, as a family.

“By the grace of God, we are going to achieve that.”

The PDP is embroiled in a leadership crisis, which has resulted in some stakeholders leaving the opposition party.

TheCable had reported that seven deputy national officers of the party resigned last week in protest against what they called “poor leadership”.

The national officers had alleged that there is a lack of financial transparency in the party’s leadership.

Subsequently, some members of the national working committee (NWC) threatened to resign if the leadership crisis is not resolved soon.

In an effort to reconcile the aggrieved members and restore calm, the board of trustees (BoT) of the party met in Abuja last Thursday and set up a committee to resolve the crisis.

The committee, which includes members of the BoT, members of the national assembly, members of the national working committee (NWC), former governors, and former ministers of the party, met on Monday.

The committee is also expected to brief the governors on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, some members of the party have demanded the resignation of Uche Secondus, national leader of the PDP, as part of efforts to end the crisis.

On Sunday, the PDP caucus in the house of representatives asked Secondus to resign from his position.

According to a statement jointly signed by Kingsley Chinda and Chukwuka Onyema, PDP caucus leader and deputy leader, respectively, the resolution was reached at an online meeting.

The lawmakers accused the party chairman of “lax and bedroom managerial attitude”, which they said resulted in the “mass exit of party members”.

However, Ndudi Elumelu, minority leader of the house of representatives, countered his colleagues, and said the online meeting is a “breach of established procedure”.

“If such a meeting held, it was without the knowledge of the leadership of the Minority Caucus, and therefore in breach of established procedure,” Elumelu said in a statement on Monday.

TheCable also understands that some members of the NWC met in Abuja earlier on Monday and passed a vote of no confidence on the national chairman.

But in reaction, Emmanuel Enoidem, national legal adviser of the PDP, said the meeting was illegal.