*As 6 Govs. NWC members, others shun NEC
*South not interested in BoT Chairmanship – Wike
By Euclid Myke
The 97th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday passed vote of confidence on the party’s National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu via a motion moved by House Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu and seconded by Hon. Ishola Fulani.
The confidence vote came barley some hours after the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustee (BoT), Senator Walid Jubrin resigned his position during its 44th meeting following agitations on the lopsided leadership position where the National Chairman, Presidential Candidate, BoT Chairman and Chairman of PDP governor forum were occupied by the North.
In his welcome address at the poorly attended NEC, Ayu reiterated that the party has an organic means of settling disputes, assuring that the party is very united despite all the disagreements.
He said, “I believe this party is as united as anything in spite of whatever impression other people may want to create. Sometimes you have family disagreement and you settle. This party is famous for settling all disagreement and going on to win elections. This time is not an exception. I am happy that the majority of Nigerian people are interested in our party. Even if we disagree among ourselves, we have the capacity to resolve it. We have done it before and I believe the Nigerian people will give us their mandate. We need to focus on what is worrying the Nigerian people” Ayu stated.
Also in his goodwill message, PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar said that the party will explore all the internal mechanism to reunite all the dissenting voices ahead of 2023 general election. He assured that he will meet up with the responsibilities reposed on him if he emerges as the next President.
He said, “Many speakers have alluded to family disagreement; family disagreements are normal even in normal families as well as political families. But what I can assure you is that we are determined to resolve those issues internally.
“As a political party we have our constitution, our rules and our regulations. I want to urge that no matter the level of disagreement, it should be resolved within our constitution, within our rules, within our regulations.
“We have what it takes to guide us to continue to nurture this political party, to provide a platform for all Nigerians to realize their collective and individual aspirations. Therefore, I wish to appeal to all members of our party to make sure that all our disagreements are resolved internally”.
The Acting BoT Chairman, Wabara in his remarks urged party members to watch their public utterances to avoid over heating the already charged polity.
“We should watch and control our utterances because by and large, only God knows tomorrow because once you voice out something, it is always difficult for you to pick back what you voiced out. My advice is that we should be matured enough to control our temper”.
The National Assembly caucus represented by House Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu in his remarks said that leadership positions cannot be occupied by all at the same time and urged party members to develop the spirit of sportsmanship.
“All of us cannot be chairman, presidential candidate, but together we can lead. If only we can be patient, we can lead. A lot has gone wrong, let’s put behind the anger and move forward. It is the devil that is trying to stop us from winning because they know, in the spiritual realm, we have won”.
Meanwhile, Wike has lashed out on the party’s Presidential Candidate for failing to push for the exit of Ayu having earlier assured that he position will revert to the South.
Governor Wike who spoke at the inauguration of Emohua campus of Rivers State University, and the flag-off of staff quarters, performed by Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State explained that all he is doing is demanding for justice and equity.
He said, “Ayu said he will resign if a northerner emerges as PDP Presidential candidate. When the Northern PDP caucus met in the house of the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed in Abuja he said so.
“After the National Convention, the candidate of the party came to see me in my house in Abuja on Monday around 10:30 am, he told me that he wants us to work together and then he said Ayu must go.
“I asked why, he said because when a candidate comes from the North, the Chairman of the party will come from the South.
“So, all I am saying is that you implement what you told me. What offence have I committed? It is not about Wike, it is about the integrity of the people who want to lead us.
“I challenge the PDP Presidential candidate to deny this. If he denies this, I will go further to say other things to Nigerians because enough is enough”.
Wike added that the South is not interested in the position of BoT chairman and argued that the position is merely advisory and cannot take an executive decision.
“They told the Chairman of the PDP BoT to resign, who is talking about the Chairman of BoT? What is the role of the BoT? BoT is an advisory body; BoT is not a decision-making body.
“As it is today, the Chairman of the party, Presidential candidate and President as the case may be, are those who will sit down and take a decision. And the Chairman is from the North, and the candidate is from the North, so who will represent the South in decision-making?
“All I am asking for is, you have taken the President, yes, but you can’t take the two major positions. What has killed Nigeria are leaders who don’t have integrity, they don’t do what they promised to do. Look at the insult, you have told the PDP BoT Chairman to resign, so you know and now agree with us that these two cannot be in one place. But what we are asking for is the position of the Chairman of the party, not the BoT”.
He revealed that a general was drafted to lobby the BoT to resign adding that the south is not interested in the position.
“A one-time general and the candidate went to see the BoT Chairman and said he should resign; we will give you an advisory role. BoT is advisory, so what advisory role are you going to give? That is to insult us. Wait let them win, then you will see.
“They are arrogant because they believe somebody in the Presidency is backing them. But what they don’t understand is that the same person in the Presidency backed somebody as APC Presidential aspirants and the person failed” Wike said.
Meanwhile the leadership of the party is yet to announce the Presidential Campaign Council even as it approved the campaign structure as submitted by the NWC.
Briefing Journalists at the end of the meeting the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba said, “NEC approved a unified campaign Structures across the country for the PDP for the 2023 general elections which will focus more on the grass root.
“NEC approved the proposed Structure and Organogram of the National Campaign Council as well as the National Campaign Management Council for the 2023 general elections. NEC also approved the Structures for Campaign Councils at the States, Local Government, Ward and Unit levels.
“NEC unanimously empowered the NWC to modify and adjust the structures of the Campaign Councils as and when the need arises”.
He further stated that NEC unanimously ratified the list of candidates submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the NWC. It condemned in the strongest terms the appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari of card-carrying members of the APC as INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) describing it brazen plot by the APC to manipulate and rig the 2023 general elections against the Will of Nigerians.
It received and approved the proposed structure for Zonal Reconciliation Committees to be set up to ensure that our Party presents a common front ahead of the 2023 general elections and also received and approved the composition of the Manifesto Review Committee to review the Manifesto of the PDP ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The NEC meeting was shunned by stakeholders from the South pushing for the removal of Ay include Gov. Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa-Ibom) and Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State while Adamawa and Benue state governors were represented by their deputies and Godwin Obaseki (Edo) sent apologies. Some key members of party’s National Working Committee from the South were also absent including, Hon. Taofeek Arapaja Deputy National Chairman South, Dan Orbi National Vice Chairman South South, Ali Odefa, National Vice Chairman South East, former Senate President Bukola Saraki and many others.
