The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday met with state chairmen of the party with a view to reviewing the tenure of the leadership of the party in 26 states.
The meeting was held behind closed-doors at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
The National Organising Secretary of the party, Umar Bature, who addressed the chairmen before the meeting dissolved proceeding to a closed session, said it was convened to end the existing crises across the state chapters.
Mr Bature listed Edo, Bayelsa, Gombe and Rivers as states that their leadership needed to be reviewed from state, local government to the ward level in order to prevent crisis.
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There is a division within the Edo State Chapter of the PDP ahead of the governorship election in the state in September.
The State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, alongside their supporters, have been in disagreement over who should be the PDP candidate in the forthcoming governorship election.
Mr Shaibu and Asue Ighodalo, who is Mr Obaseki’s favourite candidate, are the major contenders for the party’s ticket.
Mr Ighodalo emerged the governorship candidate of the party at the primary election attended by the governor and other senior members of the party on 22 February while Mr Shaibu picked the ticket at a parallel primary election in which he was the only aspirant on the same day.
The PDP NWC subsequently presented Mr Ighodalo with the Certificate of Return while Mr Shaibu threatened legal action.
Addressing the meeting at Tuesday’s meeting, Mr Bature said the tenure of the leadership of Edo State Chapter and some other states had expired long ago and that it was necessary review it.
“We are here to review the tenure of about 26 states, in terms of ward, local government and state.
“If you recall most of the current executives in the states were elected four years ago, where congresses were conducted on a staggered basis due to the COVID-19 issues.
“We have about four to five states that their tenure has expired from the ward to the state, that is Edo, Bayelsa, Gombe and Rivers State, there are others which are staggered.
“So, in order not to create vacuum or go into a crisis, that is why we have called this meeting.
“Also we have issues and crises in these states. We decided to call you for this meeting to interact with you on the way forward pending when the NEC will sit and decide on all these,” he said.
The national organising secretary urged the leadership of the party across the country to take constitutional process into consideration before appointing new executives from state level to local government and ward levels.
He specifically said names of the replacement of the executives should be transmitted to the NWC who will then decide if they are qualified to be in the positions.
“Also if there are vacancies due to death and resignation, please don’t replace any name, don’t fix another person for issues that will come up later. If this meeting decides that everybody will go as caretaker, leave the EXCO the way they are.
“Submit the list to us as it is, if there are 15 people and five have joined another party, submit the remaining 10. Don’t replace them.
“After the elections we expected the state chapters to give us their reports, that is the post 2023 election result.
“A lot of the states have not submitted their reports and we need those reports to be compiled for the next NEC meeting,” Mr Bature said.
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