The much-anticipated 98th National Executive Committee meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party held in Abuja on Thursday, with a former Senate President and ex-governor of Kwara State, Dr Bukola Saraki, appointed to lead reconciliation efforts in the party.
The PDP has been dealing with internal rancour as fallout of the events that played out before and after last year’s general elections, which the party lost to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Ahead of Thursday’s NEC meeting, ranking party sources had said the party’s National Working Committee would be submitting a list of all party members across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, who were engaged in anti-party activities, resulting in the defeat of the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
It was believed that the list, said to have been prepared for submission, would feature the name of the ex-Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who openly worked against Atiku.
Wike, leading his counterparts in Oyo State, Seyi Makinde; Benue, Samuel Ortom; Ebonyi, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and Abia, Okezie Ikpeazu, under the aegis of G-5 PDP governors, had opposed Atiku and rather worked for the candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu.
For his role, Tinubu compensated Wike with appointment as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Wike’s opposition to Atiku’s presidential ambition stemmed from the ex-vice president’s decision not to select him as his running mate.
The national leadership of the PDP had on March 26 directed the chairmen of the 36 state chapters and the Federal Capital Territory to identify their members involved in anti-party activities during the 2023 general elections.
The PDP National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, gave the directive during a meeting of the National Working Committee with state chairmen in Abuja.
He said, “After the elections, we expected the state chapters to give us their reports, that is the post-2023 election reports. A lot of the states have not submitted their reports and we need those reports to be compiled for the next NEC meeting.
“A lot of agitations are coming from party members, suspend this, suspend that, you are the ones that are in charge of those states. You are to tell us who was involved in anti-party activities and who did not; and based on that, the NEC will take a decision. Write to us and tell us what transpired, no matter what happened.”
A high-ranking member of the PDP NWC, who did not want to speak on record due to the sensitivity of the matter, had told our correspondent that a list of members who engaged in anti-party activities would be submitted during Thursday’s NEC meeting.
Given Wike’s role during the election, there were insinuations that his name would feature on the list.
However, impeccable sources, who attended the NEC meeting, said no such list was submitted.
Rather, a former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, was appointed as the chairman of the disciplinary committee set up at the NEC meeting.
A NEC, member who attended the meeting, opting to remain unnamed as he lacked authorisation to disclose closed-door proceedings, disclosed that contrary to expectiaton, the NWC did not submit the list and the NEC did not address the matter.
He disclosed that the NEC approved the appointment of Saraki and Emmanuel, as chairmen of the reconciliation and disciplinary committees, respectively.
The reliable source revealed that both Atiku and Wike, who attended the meeting, remained silent throughout the closed-door session, and no NEC member discussed the events of the 2023 presidential election.
The source stated, “They also set up disciplinary, reconciliation, and constitution amendment committees.
“The NEC appointed Saraki as chairman of the reconciliation committee, Udom Emmanuel as chairman of the disciplinary committee, and PDP Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), as chairman of the constitution amendment committee.
“Regarding the alleged anti-party activities involving some PDP members in 2023, nobody mentioned it during the meeting. The NWC also failed to submit a report on anti-party actions to NEC; instead, they directed all issues to be referred to the relevant committees. Throughout the meeting, Wike and Atiku did not utter a word.”
On the issue of the acting National Chairman of the PDP, he stated “The meeting was watered down. NEC gave NWC the approval to conduct Ward Congresses from June to July. Then, the NWC will convene another NEC meeting by August 15 to decide on the issue of the party’s national chairman. Due to the tension, they have postponed the issue of chairmanship for now.”
Leading up to the NEC meeting, a crucial topic of debate among party officials over the past two weeks centred on whether party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, should retain his position or be replaced.
Previously holding the role of PDP National Deputy Chairman (North), Damagum assumed the role of acting National Chairman following the court’s suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, in March of the preceding year.
The court’s ruling came in response to a petition from PDP member Terhide Utaan, prompted by a vote of no confidence passed against Ayu by his ward executives in Igyorov ward, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.
On Wednesday and into the early hours of Thursday, the PDP’s NWC and National Caucus voiced their unwavering support for Damagum.
Addressing reporters after the National Caucus meeting in the early hours of Thursday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, revealed that Damagum would remain in his role as acting National Chairman until the next NEC meeting following the current session.
He said, “The caucus did not deliberate on this matter because there are numerous complexities regarding leadership at this time. Therefore, this matter was deferred to the upcoming NEC meeting. The issues presented by the NWC were discussed by the caucus. Umar Damagum will remain the acting national chairman of the party until the subsequent NEC meeting following tomorrow’s (today’s) session.
“The party has recognised the importance of conducting further consultations on that matter. Our priority is maintaining party unity, as we navigate through these issues without causing division. We are committed to following our constitution and any succession plan that aligns with our current circumstances, including ongoing court processes. Our aim is to take actions that promote unity and are in accordance with our constitution.”
However, the North Central Zone of the Party reached a unanimous decision and firmly asserted that the zone should be responsible for nominating the next National Chairman of the Party following Ayu’s dismissal.
Following the conclusion of the 98th NEC meeting, which was attended by 353 accredited members at the PDP Headquarters in Wadata Plaza, Abuja, on Thursday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed that the issue of the National Chairman had been postponed to August 15 due to the heightened tension surrounding the matter.
PDP Publicity scribe said “Our party emphasises the need for reconciliation and stability within the party at this time. Therefore, the issue of the National Chairman, Damagum, has been deferred to the next NEC meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for August 15, 2014.”
Ologunagba, who presented the 98 NEC communique, conveyed the gathering’s appreciation to all party organs for their combined perseverance, unwavering dedication, and commitment to the cohesion, solidity, and continuity of the PDP amidst adversities.
He further conveyed that the PDP NEC voiced apprehension regarding the poorly executed policies of the APC administration, purportedly resulting in escalating insecurity, severe economic challenges, rising unemployment, increased costs of essential commodities, and widespread despair and hopelessness nationwide.
Ologunagba said, “NEC expresses serious apprehensions over the spate of acts of terrorism and violence including the escalated cases of mindless killings, mass abduction of innocent Nigerians and marauding of communities in various parts of the country.
“NEC condemns the insensitivity, nonchalance, incompetence and arrogance in failure of the APC administration which continues to conduct itself in a manner that shows that it has no iota of interest or commitment towards the wellbeing of Nigerians.
“NEC, after due consideration demands that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should urgently convene a special National Security Council meeting to proffer a holistic solution and measures to curb the disturbing insecurity with its attendant negative consequences on our national life.
“NEC also demands that President Tinubu should immediately rejig his Economic Team to bring in persons of proven integrity and competence without bias and vested interest to assist in repositioning the economy.”
As stated by the PDP Publicity Secretary, NEC instructed all organs, leaders, key stakeholders, and indeed all members of the PDP to unite, set aside any personal or group agendas, and collaborate in the collective endeavor to restructure and bring the PDP back to power nationally, for the betterment of the Nigerian populace.
Responding to questions from journalists shortly after the meeting, the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, stated that the party remained united.
He said, “You can see there was no dissent, no rancour, no division as anticipated or expected. It was planned that we would have an implosion, but the PDP is more than that. We are a party that is united in accordance with our constitution.”
Regarding a replacement for the National Chairman, he stated, “We are operating based on a timeline and our constitution. There are no problems or disagreements within the PDP membership. In the next two months, you will see us initiating activities on this matter. Leadership entails responsibility. After completing our State Congresses, we will address the issue of party leadership, ensuring a smooth process without any discord.”
Earlier during the meeting, the Chairman PDP Governors Forum said the 13 governors were diligently working to ensure adequate funding for all off-season elections, and we fully support the current leadership of the PDP at both the NWC and the Board of Trustee levels.
He said, “We also recognise that all eyes are on the PDP, especially we the governors and we are determined to bring peer review mechanism so that we bring good governance that will be diametrically opposed to what is happening in the APC. We want to make you proud and bring good governance in all ramifications and with all humility and modesty, you will recognize that my bosses, the governors are doing very well.
“We recognise that there are some gaps in the leadership recruitment and the lingering perception outside and of course, the strategy of our detractors who are lingering and waiting somewhere to see us implode or explode, but I must appreciate members of the caucus and members of the BoT that we have held meeting with and now the NEC that will not give our detractors the opportunity to see what they want, creation of faction, but PDP is too much for that.”
In response, Damagum stated that becoming the substantive National Chairman of the PDP was not a matter of life and death. He added that regardless of what happened, he remained a member of the NWC.
Damagum said, “This is not a matter of life and death. I am still an elected member of this NEC. Even if I revert to deputy national chairman I am still a member of NWC. The issue of surviving or not does not emerge.”
