The 93rd National Executive Committee meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party, on Thursday commenced in Abuja.
In his welcome address, Acting National Chairman of the party, Yemi Akinwonmi, appealed to members to close ranks as the party reinvents itself to return to power come 2023.
He said the National Working Committee had put together a document on issues discussed during the 92nd NEC and made proposals which it expects members of NEC to consider and pass a verdict on.
Speaking in the same vein, chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwual, pledged that governors of the party remain committed to its ideals and all the efforts being made to reposition it.
Earlier, the party had inaugurated the Anambra State Governorship Campaign Council.
Akinwonmi enjoined members of the PDP in Anambra State to rally round the party and its candidate in order to reclaim the state.
He noted that Anambra is a traditional stronghold of the PDP, charging party members to return the state to its original status as a PDP state.
He handed over the party flag to the deputy chairman of the campaign council and Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.
Okowa, who stood in for the chairman of the council, Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, applauded the Independent National Electoral Commission for its plan to deploy technology to halt electoral fraud.
Also speaking, the party’s candidate in the November 6 election, Valentine Ozigbo, promised the people of Anambra dividends of democracy if elected governor.
Essentially, the meeting is expected to ratify the decision of the party’s Zoning Committee.
A notice of the meeting, which was sighted in Abuja, on Saturday, asked all members of NEC to attend the emergency meeting, which according to the party’s National Secretary, Senator Umaru Sauri, was designed to address “crucial matters.”
The notice said “all members of the National Executive Committee of our great party are invited to an emergency NEC meeting,” to hold at NEC Hall PDP National Headquarters, Wadata Plaza, Abuja.
The Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led PDP Zoning Committee had, on Thursday, recommended a zoning formula for the sharing of the 21 National Working Committee positions between the North and the South.
It recommended that party positions currently being occupied by members of the party from the North should be swapped with those occupied by southerners during the national convention slated for October 30 and 31.
Speaking on reports after the committee meeting, Ugwuanyi said, “The decision of the PDP Zoning Committee is in line with the constitution of the party on zoning and rotation of party and national offices in the interest of justice, equity and fairness.
“Consequently, the current offices being held by officers in the southern zones of the country, namely, South-West, South-East and South-South zones should swap places with the offices currently in the northern zones of Nigeria, namely, North-West, North-East and North Central zones.”
It is expected that party leaders, who are members of NEC which is the second highest decision making body of the party, will meet to ratify the recommendations of the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led Zoning Committee.
Acting National Chairman of the party, Yemi Akinwonmi, had, while receiving the report on behalf of the National Working Committee of the party on Tuesday, described today’s NEC meeting as “make or mar.”
The zoning panel had recommended that all party positions currently being held by members of the party from the south be swapped with those held by members of the party from the north.
If NEC accepts this recommendation, the next national chairman of the party will emerge from the north.
Other positions, which will also go to the north, include: National Treasurer, National Organising Secretary and National Legal Adviser, among others.
The south will produce the National Secretary, National Publicity Secretary and Auditor, among others.
There have been protests from party supporters working through several groups and urging NEC to jettison the committee’s recommendations.
Convener of one of such groups under the aegis of PDP Leaders Forum, Olusola Salau, asked NEC to reject the report because it was “self serving and designed to shortchange the South West that has never produced a national chairman of the PDP since inception.”
The Punch
