The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told party leaders from the North Central Zone to immediately convene a stakeholders meeting to nominate a replacement for former national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
The body also asked the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) not to shift the much anticipated National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for February, next year.
The body also charged governors elected on the party’s platform to remain united and not allow individual political ambitions cause a rift among them.
The BoT made these resolutions after an emergency meeting held at the party’s national secretariat on Thursday in Abuja.
The BoT meeting yesterday comes less than three weeks after a meeting of PDP governors, NWC, BoT, National Assembly (NASS) Forum, Former Governors Forum, Former Ministers’ Forum and other party leaders in Plateau State, where they for the umpteenth time shifted the NEC meeting.
Recall that PDP leaders from the North Central have been asking the acting national chairman, Amb Illiya Damagum, to vacate the seat and allow a party member from the region occupy the position in accordance with the zoning arrangement in the party.
Others have accused Damagum of not working against the party’s interest just as fresh allegations emerged that he recently met with President Bola Tinubu in London.
Meanwhile, barely days to the November 28 NEC meeting, the NWC announced its postponement citing the burial activities of Akwa Ibom State governor, Umo Eno’s wife, Patience.
Before this postponement, the NWC had postponed the meeting from October 24. Before the October postponement, the meeting was fixed for August 15.
The last NEC meeting was held on April 18, where party leaders approved the formation of a reconciliation and disciplinary committee, the conduct of ward and state congresses, and instructed the North Central Caucus to consult on the ongoing issue of replacing the acting national chairman with a substantive national chairman.
Reading the communique after yesterday’s meeting, the BoT chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, said the BoT is deeply worried over the current state of affairs of the PDP, particularly with regard to the administration of the Party.
“The BoT demands that NWC immediately commence the restoration of internal harmony, unity, stability and public confidence in the Party by respecting the PDP Constitution and adhering to the zoning of NWC offices to the various geo-political zones in the country.
“BoT calls on the PDP Governors’ Forum to be more united and work along with other organs of the Party to resolve issues in the Party expeditiously
“The BoT is deeply disappointed over the continued shifting by the NWC in convening a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. This delay not only undermines the trust and confidence of our members but portrays our Party as having been hijacked by certain interests
“The BoT demands that the NWC should show leadership, honour its word and convene the NEC meeting as scheduled in February 2025. This is critical for resolving pressing issues and charting a clear path forward for the party. Any further postponement will exacerbate existing challenges and may spell doom for our Party.
“The BoT calls on the leaders of the North Central Zone to immediately convene a meeting of North Central stakeholders with a view to nominating a replacement for former National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.”
The BoT stressed that PDP’s strength lies in its collective resolve and not in individual pursuits. It added that cannot afford to let personal ambitions or differences overshadow the shared vision for a better Nigeria.
On the national front, the BoT lamented the harsh economic policies of the Tinubu Administration, adding that they have exacerbated the suffering of Nigerians as skyrocketed cost of living has pushed millions of our citizens deeper into poverty with no hope in sight under the APC administration.
Earlier, Wabara, in an opening address to BoT members, admitted that the crisis rocking the PDP is self-inflicted.
Stressing that the BoT will relentlessly seek peace and unity as the party’s conscience, Wabara said the body “will begin again to search for peace in the new year starting with former Governor Nyesom Wike who the BoT had promised to visit again to seek lasting peace.”
Reacting to the BoT’s resolution on North Central, former national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said it is timely, patriotic, and commendable.
“The decision reached at the meeting of the BoT mandating the North Central geo-political zone of the party to nominate a replacement for Senator Iyorchia Ayu is timely, patriotic, and commendable.
“The decision is in consonance with the demand of the North Central Zone which has consistently agitated that the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Ilyasu Damagum, reverts to his elected position as Deputy National Chairman and allow the North Central to produce a successor.
“This bold and courageous decision of the BoT must be commended by the rank and file of the party,” he said.
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