The Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) has resolved to hold a special convention in Abuja on
August 12, 2017.
The Guardian
learnt that the special convention is meant to allow for the extension of the
tenure of the Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee for a period
within which the party would plan another convention to pick its national
officers.
The
caretaker committee was first set up to work for 90 days on May 21, 2016 at the
party’s Port Harcourt national convention where the Senator Ali Modu
Sheriff-led National Working Committee was dissolved.
Its life span
was later extended by 12 months in another convention that held again in Port
Harcourt on the 17th of August, 2016.
At its 74th
National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting yesterday in Abuja, the party
explained that the holding of the special convention would be crucial since it
would be practically impossible to conduct an elective convention before the
expiration of the tenure of the Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee
on August 16, 2017.
Briefing
journalists after the NEC meeting, the spokesman, Dayo Adeyeye, said: “We have
been in court since May 2016. So, the prolonged litigation over the national
leadership tussle ended only last week when the Supreme Court gave judgement in
favour of the National Caretaker Committee, leaving barely one month for the
conduct of proper elective national convention. Taking into account the
relevant statutory notice that we need to give to the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) and the requirements of the PDP Constitution 2012
(as amended), practically, it is going to be impossible to have an elective
national convention before August 16. Our own constitution has some special
provisions that we have to meet and there’s no time to meet up with those
provisions.
“Therefore,
NEC took a decision that in view of all the circumstances, NEC invoking the
powers conferred on it under Section 31 (2a), decided to convene non-elective
national convention on August 12, 2017 in Abuja.”
Adeyeye also
disclosed that the party has dissolved the parallel caretaker committees set up
in Jigawa and Benue states by the Supreme Court-dethroned leadership of Ali
Modu Sheriff.
According to
Adeyeye, those parallel caretaker committees were appointed against the
constitution of the party and in conflict with already existing state executive
committees which were validly put in place.
The NEC
meeting also resolved to establish a standing disciplinary panel as well as
another standing committee for reconciliation.
With the
setting up of the standing committee for reconciliation, the earlier national
reconciliation committee headed by the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson,
stands dissolved.
It was also
learnt that the setting up of a standing disciplinary committee was informed by
the need to address mounting pressure by key party leaders to sanction all
those who played negative roles during its prolonged crisis.
Adeyeye said
that the no-victor, no- vanquished declaration by the party was still valid.
On
constitution amendment, the party during the NEC meeting directed that draft
copies be circulated to members to study before the non-elective convention.
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