PDP NEC silent on Secondus, to decide on zoning for NWC positions Sept 9

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says zonal positions for the national working committee (NWC) will be decided on September 9.

Kola Ologbondiyan, spokesperson of the PDP, disclosed this on Saturday after a closed-door meeting of the national executive committee (NEC) in Abuja.

The development comes hours after party fixed October 30 and 31 to conduct its national convention.

Ologbondiyan said nominations into the respective national convention committees will be approved by the NEC, adding that Abuja has been selected as the venue.

The PDP spokesperson was, however, silent on the decision of the NEC on Uche Secondus, the embattled national chairman of the party.

Ologbondiyan said members resolved to be united and to work in the overall interest of the party.

“The NEC emphasises the indivisibility of the Peoples Democratic Party and the need to remain united as a party as we work assiduously towards removing the inept, indolence and corrupt All Progressives Congress (APC) government come 2023. NEC urges members to continue to make personal sacrifices in the overall interest of our party,” he said.

“NEC urges Nigerians to take a cue from our deliverables in our respective states as a sign of the improvement that our party wishes to deliver when elected in 2023.

“The party boasts of more experienced hands in party politics as well as governance. NEC says its internal crisis management mechanism is far better than that of the APC as a political party and even as a government.

“NEC is confident that the PDP has earned the trust of Nigerians and our party will do better when given the opportunity to lead the nation.

“NEC has resolved that Abuja will be the venue of the PDP national convention slated for October 31, 2021.

“NEC is to meet on the 9th of September to approve the various nominations into the respective national convention committees.”

THE NEC MEETING

TheCable had reported that Yemi Akinwonmi, acting national chairman of the party, presided over the NEC meeting on Saturday.

Uche Secondus, suspended national chairman of the party, had asked Akinwonmi to preside, after a high court in Cross River restrained him from resuming as the chairman of the party.

Hours before, there was confusion over who would preside over the meeting after a high court sitting in Kebbi ordered that Secondus retain his position as national chairman of the party.

But on Friday, a high court sitting in Cross River state barred Secondus from resuming office as the national chairman of the PDP.

Secondus was suspended on Monday after a high court in Rivers state granted an interim order restraining him from parading himself as the national chairman of the PDP.

In compliance with the court order, the party’s national working committee (NWC), at its meeting on Thursday, named Akinwonmi, the national deputy chairman (south), as the acting national chairman.

While addressing members before the meeting went into a closed-door session, Akinwonmi thanked the governors elected on the platform of the party for their role in resolving the crisis in the party.

Those who attended the meeting included Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president; David Mark, ex-senate president; Anyim Pius Anyim, former secretary to the government of the federation; PDP governors, former and current lawmakers, among others.