PDP new NWC, Wike’s faction on collision course, schedule NEC, BoT meetings at same venue

A chaos is looming within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as two factions of the opposition party have fixed meetings at the national secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Abuja on Tuesday.

Earlier today, Samuel Anyanwu, an ally of Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), announced an emergency session of the party’s national executive committee (NEC) and board of trustees (BoT).

The faction led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, its chairman, said the BoT meeting would be held at 11am, while the NEC is slated for 2pm at the same location.

The group insisted that attendance is compulsory, noting that “crucial matters” would be addressed.

Meanwhile, Kabiru Turaki, the national chairman of the PDP elected at its convention in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, on Saturday, said the party’s new leadership would proceed with its own inaugural NEC meeting at the Wadata Plaza.

Turaki, who was briefing journalists on Monday shortly after submitting a petition at the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) headquarters in Abuja, reaffirmed his determination to reclaim the secretariat and exercise the mandate of his office.

“We intend to have an interface with the commissioner of police of the FCT regarding the meeting that we have planned for Wadata tomorrow,” he said.

“We are going to have the inaugural national working committee (NWC) meeting of our party.

“At this meeting, we have invited all our stakeholders, our founding fathers; we have invited all our governors and members of the National Assembly, we have invited members of the Board of Trustees, our state chairmen, and other critical stakeholders.

“As law-abiding people, we have come here to tell the police that we are having our meeting tomorrow, and this will be our inaugural meeting since we left Ibadan after our election at the national elective convention.

“Now, we have seen flying in the social media a purported notice of BoT and NEC meeting given by people who for all intents and purposes are no longer members of this party as I am talking today.

“Next to God, the management of a political party is a national convention, and a decision taken in a national convention overrides any other decisions that have been taken by any organ of the party.

“Our national convention has taken a decision to expel these elements of the party; they are no longer members of our party, and so we have reported the moves they are making to the police, as we do not want any situation where there will be a breach of peace.”

‘WE’RE PREPARED TO LAY DOWN OUR LIVES’

Turaki said nothing will stop him and his colleagues from converging on Wadata Plaza on Tuesday.

“Our offices are now open; we are going there; we will have the offices open; we will get in there and begin to perform the functions for which we were elected,” he said.

“Let me reiterate again, for the avoidance of doubt, to defend our party, to defend this nascent democracy, we are prepared to lay down our lives.”

Responding to a question about timing, Turaki confirmed that the PDP NEC will meet at 10am.

“Our meeting is at 10 a.m. tomorrow; we shall be there unfailingly, and I, as the national chairman of PDP, will be leading from the front, not from the rear,” he said.

Turaki added that the police had assured him that adequate security would be deployed to prevent any breakdown of law and order.

“We have the assurance that they will do everything it takes to ensure there is no breakdown of law and order,” he said.

“That is our expectation from them, and we will be there hoping the police will make sure they give us all the ample protection we are entitled to under the law—and that assurance will protect us.”

BACKGROUND

Over the weekend, a faction led by Umar Damagum, immediate past PDP national chairman, held the party’s national convention in Ibadan.

The faction expelled Wike, Anyanwu and Ayo Fayose, former governor of Ekiti, and eight other members.

Others removed from the party include Umar Bature, Kamaldeen Ajibade, Mao Ohabunwa, Uwachukwu, George Turner, Dan Orbih, Abdulrahman Mohammed, Austin Nwachukwu and Abraham Amah.

The Wike-aligned faction attempted to stop the convention through the courts, but the opposing side secured a high court order in Oyo allowing the event to proceed.