PDP governors have agreed to choose a national chairman who is not aligned with any of the competing factions.
A deal has been reached among the PDP governors for a consensus national chairman from the north central zone.
The party is facing mounting pressure to hold its NEC meeting, with national ex-officio openly demanding the proposed October 24 date.
According to a party insider, there are indications of a covert campaign to replace the embattled acting national chairman, Amb Iliya Damagum.
The situation will become clearer by late Tuesday or Wednesday.
The source clarified that the NEC will remain unchanged due to the lack of opposing information.
The PDP governors’ forum chairman, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, said last week that they’ll have a meeting to decide the date for the NEC on Thursday.
Right now, the leading candidates for national chairman from the north central are Gabriel Suswam, the former governor of Benue State, and Dr. Emmanuel Agbo, the Director General of the PDP governors’ forum, Conrad Utaan.
The conference, with ex-officio PDP NEC members from all the zones, made the call in a statement.
The statement was signed by Dr. Yunana Ilya (North Central Zonne), Dr. Nicholas Msheliza (North East Zone), Chief ‘Madu Chinemerem (South East Zone), Chief Patrick Agbe (South South Zone), Chief Faboyede Clement (South West Zone), and Alhaji Ibrahim Alhaji (North West Zone).
PDP Govs wants North Central to Produce National Chairman
The statement by the PDP Ex-officio members of NEC read:
“We have viewed with utter dismay and concern the dangerous turn of events within the top echelon of our party in the recent times. These events have the tendency to shake the very foundation of our party.
“We recall the primary aim of the founding fathers of our great party was to pursue democratic tenets and good governance for teeming Nigerians, and that has not changed.
“As an integral part of NEC of our great party, and one of its last bastions with the grassroots, who believe in the resurgence of our party’s popularity, we have critically brainstormed and dispassionately resolved, as a matter of urgency to call on the leadership of the party to ensure that the NEC meeting scheduled for the 24th, October 2024 holds.
“This will afford members who are aggrieved the opportunity to be heard and their issues addressed.
“Our Party’s Constitution is explicit on the importance of NEC in its provision that it shall hold at least once every quarter, failing which two-thirds of members may exercise its power in summoning an emergency NEC meeting.
“It is regrettable that our party has not adhered to the provisions of its own constitution, which would have nipped in the bud many unresolved issues.
“We profoundly commend the efforts and interventions of the PDP Governors Forum, ably led by His Excellency, Senator Bala Muhammed, CON, Governor of Bauchi State in its determination to resolve the party’s crisis and return it to the path of greatness.”
By the way, former governor Okezie Ikpeazu is confident the party can overcome its internal crisis and come out stronger.