Pending a change of plans, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national leadership will meet with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the row caused by the commission’s rejection of the party’s notice for a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on June 30, this year.
A top party source told LEADERSHIP that an earlier scheduled meeting could not be held. He however maintained that the party resolved to interface with the electoral commission over its rejection letter this Friday.
INEC had, in a letter, rejected a notice sent to it by PDP for its NEC meeting saying it fell short of the requirement of Part 2(12) 3 of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.
In a response contained in a letter dated June 13, 2025, addressed to the PDP acting National Chairman and signed by INEC acting secretary Haliru Aminu, the commission said the party’s national chairman and secretary are required to jointly sign the notice for the NEC meeting.
Damagum had written to INEC on May 30 notifying the commission of its 100th NEC meeting.
Recall that the national secretary position is still being keenly contested between Senator Samuel Anyanwu who is backed by a group led by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister Nyesom Wike and Hon Sunday Ude-Okoye, who was renominated by the South East PDP leaders. The position was zoned to the South East.
However, the senior party official, who faulted the commission’s letter, said PDP leaders would meet with INEC to address the issues and forestall a possible attempt to dictate to parties how to run themselves.
“We will definitely have that meeting. We couldn’t hold it as planned. But we will meet on Friday,” the party source said about the meeting with INEC.
The party official further faulted the commission for issuing the memo arguing that the NEC is not a meeting to elect party officials.
He further underscored the resolve to meet the commission, adding that it was essential that they engage INEC early over this issue to stop it from overstepping its boundaries.
“This is not an elective meeting, so why would the INEC want to act the way it just did. We take exceptions to that letter and we will engage them so that they don’t become emboldened and decide to dictate to us how to run our party,” the senior party official said.
In a related development, the Conference of Professionals in PDP (CP-PDP) yesterday said the INEC has no statutory powers to cancel or reject the convening of the 100th NEC meeting of the PDP scheduled for Monday, June 30, 2025.
National coordinator of CP-PDP, Barr. Obinna Nwachukwu, however said the Conference is disturbed by the mischievous misrepresentation of the Part 2(12) 3 of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022 by the INEC Acting Secretary Haliru Aminu which we believe is a deliberate but failed design by that official to scuttle the NEC meeting.
“This is because it is crystal clear that the Part 2(12) 3 of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022 cited by Hadiru Aminu in his malicious letter derived from Part 2(12) 1, which is unambiguous in providing that the 21 days notice to be signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of a political party is only applicable to Convention, Congress, Conference or Meeting convened for the purpose of merger and electing members of its national executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any of the elective offices specified in the Electoral Act 2022.
“The CP-PDP has carefully read the invitation extended to INEC by the Acting National Chairman of our great party, Ambassador Iliya Damagum. The letter dated Friday, 30th May 2025 and addressed to the Chairman of INEC did not make any reference to 21 Days Notice neither did it state that the 100th NEC meeting is convened for the purposes specified under 2(12) of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.
“It is therefore clear that INEC Acting Secretary Haliru Aminu acted in bad faith, perhaps influenced by external interests in his letter to import ideas and issues that were not contained in the invitation letter from the PDP.
“The Conference therefore demands that INEC should protect its integrity by immediately relieving Haliru Aminu of his duties and investigate his conduct and activities, especially given allegations that he is compromised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to frustrate the PDP.”
The CP-PDP said the 100th NEC meeting will go on as scheduled for June 30, 2025 being not constrained by Part 2(12)3 of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.
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