By Omeiza Ajayi
Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike on Monday in Abuja hosted critical stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP under the aegis of “Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP”, with a resolution demanding the party to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.
The meeting which lasted several hours also resolved not to let the party die and demanded that the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum and the National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu issue a notice for a meeting of its National Executive Committee NEC.
In a communique read by Wike after the meeting, the stakeholders emphasised the need to reinforce internal democracy, equity and justice within the ranks of the party.
“In the spirit of fairness, inclusion, federal character principles and respect for our party constitution, the Party must make an unequivocal pronouncement zoning its presidential candidate to the South in the 2027 elections after the unbroken years of Northern President under President Muhammadu Buhari.
“In line with the provisions of our party constitution only the National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, can issue notices of meeting of the National Convention, National Executive Committee, National Caucus and the National Working Committee and to this end all notices not issued by him and actions founded on them, including correspondences to INEC are null and void and of no effect whatsoever”, the stakeholders declared.
While it was not immediately clear whether the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, a member of the G-5 was invited to the meeting, his other colleagues – Ifeanyi Uguanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) were at the meeting.
Others at the meeting included the National Secretary of the PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; former Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda; serving and former federal and state lawmakers, some zonal and state party executives, among a host of others.
The “eminent Stakeholders and Concerned Leaders” who were drawn from the various States of the Federation, also lamented the seemingly intractable crisis in the party which they said “is as a result of inexplicable refusal of a few to adhere to the Party Constitution, with particular reference to Section 36(1)(a)(b) and (c), Sections 47(3)(5) and 48(1)(i) and the definitive Supreme Court Judgment regarding the position of the office of the National Secretary of the Party”.
Part of the communique reads; “The Eminent Stakeholders and Concerned Leaders are alarmed that the party is in an inevitable path to self annihilation, if urgent steps are not taken to rein in the desperate, divisive and selfish tendencies that brought the party to its knees in the lead up to the 2023 election.
“These divisive tendencies, unfortunately, have found expression in the conduct of certain interest within the ranks of our party both at NEC, NWC and Board of Trustees levels.
“Consequently, the PDP Eminent Stakeholders and Concerned Leaders resolve as follows:
“That to finally arrest the inexorable drift towards extinction in our party, the party must, without further delay, respect the judgment of the Supreme Court. We, therefore, unequivocally reaffirm Senator Sam Anyanwu as the duly elected and substantive National Secretary of our great Party.
“Furthermore, it is clear from the Constitution that only the National Convention, properly and duly constituted can remove Senator Sam Anyanwu, the National Secretary, arising from his status as a member of the National Executive Committee of the Party.
“We, therefore, demand that the Acting National Chairman and the National Secretary jointly issue a notice to INEC with an attached agenda for the National Executive Committee Meeting of the Party being the only pathway to abide by extant laws.
“We, the stakeholders reiterate our commitment to our great party and urge all members to uphold the rule of law, respect constitutional mandate, resist all machinations aimed at destabilizing the party and support the efforts of the National Reconciliation Committee headed by His Excellency, Senator Bukola Saraki”.
Earlier in his welcome address, Wike said the concerned stakeholders are those who have always believed and who still believe in the survival of the party.
“All of you here are those who are committed to the survival of our party not just on TV talking or on the newspapers talking but committed to the party at the various levels.
“Today, this country is stabilized because of the activities of the G5 Governors. You may like us you may hate us. The truth of the matter is if G5 did not take the decision we took, this country would have been in crisis. It doesn’t matter who the beneficiary was but the right thing had to be done and we still stand by that decision.
“If the party had listened to what we said, we won’t have been where we are today and we have continued to sound it to the party, let the constitution of the party and of the country be respected. That, as an opposition party, we cannot continue to act with impunity. No opposition party acts with impunity. Ours is to continue to placate people and bring them together, not to say that they should go to hell.
“Let us not allow greed, let us not allow ego to kill out party”.
Wike who wondered why the fixation on the position of national secretary, said Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba state was the chairman of the party in the state and that he did not resign before contesting for Governorship but only went back to resign after winning the election.
He said the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ibrahim Abdullahi, also contested for the Kebbi state governorship and that he retained his seat even after losing the election.
On his part, Dr Ortom noted that he who pays the piper dictates the tune. He challenged anyone in Nigeria to tell Nigerians whoever has contributed to the growth of the PDP more than Wike.
He said the president understands that the country cannot be a one-party state which was why he appointed Wike into a very sensitive position as the FCT minister.
“For whatever reason, PDP made a lot of mistakes and we are where we are today”, he said.
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