For the first time in a long while, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a genuine step to resolve the lingering crisis regarding the position of the national secretary following its meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
TheHintsNews reports that the meeting which took place at INEC headquarters in Abuja started at 2.30pm, after which they proceeded into a closed door section.
Checks revealed that the PDP recently wrote a letter to INEC inviting it to its 100th NEC meeting scheduled for June 30.
The letter signed by its acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum invited INEC to its 100th NEC meeting scheduled for June 30.
However, in its reply dated June 13, the electoral umpire notified thePDP that its letter was not in compliance with the requirements of part 2(12)3 of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.
The commission maintained that both the national chairman and national secretary of the party shall jointly sign the notice for convention, congress, conference or meeting and submit same to it.
Speaking at the meeting, INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu noted that the meeting was at the instance of PDP, saying that as the regulator of political parties, INEC’s door is always open to their leaders.
He recalled that in the last couple of months the commission received about five letters from the PDP as to who is the party secretary.
Yakubu stated: “In the last couple of months, we received letters from the party saying that one Mr Sunday Udey-Okoye was the secretary. Thereafter, the party changed its mind and said it was said to Anyanwu.
“Thereafter, the party changed its mind to say that it is Mr. Setonji Koshoedo. And again the party changed its mind to say Anyanwu.
“The last letter from the party actually has no secretary at all. It was only signed by the chairman which we responded to.
“But we are here as the registrar and regulators of political parties. And we hope when we go into the working session we will fully understand where you are coming from and what more you expect from us as the registrar and regulator of political parties.”
The INEC Chairman further recalled that not long ago, the commission received similar visitors from the Labour Party.
He stated: “The acting Chairman has stated the purpose of the meeting to discuss the status of the party’s national secretary particularly regarding the letter we sent to the party on the request for us to monitor their 100th NEC meeting which was only signed by the chairman and not the chairman and secretary as provided in our regulation.
“I am glad that that meeting was the 100th meeting of the NEC of the party, meaning that 99 times in the past you fully complied by inviting us by means of a letter signed by the chairman and secretary of the party.
“So, there are issues to discuss. And we look forward to this important clarification from the party as to who is the secretary,” he said.
Earlier, Damagum said they were at INEC headquarters to interact with INEC to guide the party taking decisions of the party national secretary.
His words: “We are here today, as you are aware that we have issues pertaining to the status of our national secretary.
“We’ve gone into litigation, I think, from the beginning of last year until when the Supreme Court made a pronouncement of which INEC was a party to that litigation.
“We are here today to discuss and interact with you sincerely, because we had NEC and there was a decision of NEC which mandated me to sign a letter to avoid controversy.
“I have received your reply to that letter, urging us to be guided. So I think we are here to interact sincerely with you off-camera so that it will guide us when we get back to have a position that would further help us in taking these positions that we found ourselves,” Damagum said.
Damagum told newsmen after the meeting that the party leadership would go and meet with the larger PDP stakeholders on the discussion from the meeting and come back to INEC on Thursday.
The meeting also had in attendance the Chairman of PDP Governors Forum, Bala Mohammed, Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, Caleb Muftwang of Plateau.
Others were: former Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki, former Governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi, Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, former Governor of Bayelsa, Seriake Dickson, PDP National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, and Ben Obi.