Rethink resignation or get replaced, PDP state chairmen tell party’s national officers

The forum of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state chairmen has called on the national officers of the party who resigned their positions to reconsider their actions and embrace dialogue. 

TheCable had reported how seven deputy national officers of the party resigned on Tuesday 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.

Those who resigned include the deputy national financial secretary, the deputy legal adviser, the deputy national auditor, the deputy national publicity secretary, the deputy women leader and the deputy organising secretary.

Reacting to the development, the forum, in a statement by Francis Orogu, its publicity secretary, said though any member has the right to resign his position, the officers in question should have taken advantage of the party’s “strong internal mechanisms for dispute resolution” to settle their grievances before backing out.

It asked the resigned officers to reconsider their action.

The chairmen further called on the national working committee (NWC) of the party to replace the officers if they fail to have a rethink.

“In the overall interest of the Party, the Forum calls on all those who resigned to have a rethink and embrace dialogue , as an alternative to solving the problems they feel are mitigating against the progress of the Party,” the chairmen said.

“In the event of their inability to have a rethink of their actions, the NWC of the Party should call for an immediate replacement of such Officer from their respective States to ensure a smooth conduct of future Party activities.

“The Forum calls on the NWC to close ranks and put in place an all inclusive plan of action for the smooth conduct of the forthcoming National Convention, which is the only legally authorised platform for electing National Officers of the Party.

“The Forum also calls on all Organs of the Party to engage and interact effectively with each other to bring up a smooth and robust plan of action for the conduct of the next National Convention in a free and fair manner.”

The forum appealed for calm and restraint from all party actors to avoid an escalation of the situation.

In a related development, Bukola Saraki, ex-senate president, led the PDP reconciliation and strategy committee to Oyo state on Tuesday over the crisis rocking the party.