The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is to hold its elective National Convention on November 15 and 16, as against August 30 as previously announced by the party.
The convention will hold in Ibadan, Oyo State, and the National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu were directed to officially write to inform the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the time, venue and agenda of the convention in accordance with the requirement of Section 82 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 and Part 2(12) of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.
PDP in a communique at end of its 101th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, also directed the National Working Committee (NWC) to take immediate legal action to recover the seats of all serving members of the National and state Assemblies elected on the platform of the PDP but who have defected to another party.
PDP has lost many of its members in the National and state Assemblies, to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Some other party members, including the former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and former President of the Senate David Mark, also left the party and joined the newly adopted coalition platform, the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba who read the communique said by virtue of the provision of Sections 68 (1) (g) and 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) legislators who defected from the party to another party “have irredeemably lost their seats, there being no division or merger with regard to the PDP.”
The party however appealed to those who joined the ADC to reconsider their actions and show loyalty and commitment to PDP “especially as the law does not permit membership of two political Parties at the same time.”
It disclosed that as the leading opposition party in Nigeria, PDP is working with other well-meaning and like-minded citizens in the collective effort to rescue the nation from the stranglehold of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
“NEC reassures of PDP’s belief in democracy, and its commitment and readiness to be at the forefront in driving the aspiration of Nigerians to oust the APC and install a people-oriented government on the platform of the PDP come 2027,” the statement added.
PDP acting National Chairman Ambassador Damagum, had in a speech before the meeting went into a closed door session, said the party is not losing sleep over the adoption of the ADC as coalition platform, and said he is looking forward to the dismantling of the platform.
“They say, a bird in hand is worth two in the bush. Some persons have recently learned this truth in the most uncomfortable way.
“Many who jumped on the coalition bandwagon have already returned to our fold. Some even claim they never left and merely attended a meeting, we accept their confessions without prejudice,” he said.
The National Chairman however noted that the reversal is not limited to PDP members alone, as “Individuals from other political parties who initially joined this coalition have realised that the venture is ill-fated and their swift return is proof of this.”
He boasted that PDP still “remains the only party that is not only poised and ready to take back power, but also the only party with the structure, national acceptability, and legacy capable of bearing the weight of this great national undertaking.
“To close this matter, I believe that all of us look forward to the total dismantling of this ill-fated coalition, even as we extend our best wishes to those involved.”
Former Kaduna State governor Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi who represented the Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), warned the party not to take things for granted.
Makarfi added that he observed that those who left the party did so for one reason or the other, and expressed the belief that the agenda and the success of the items scheduled to be discussed at the NEC meeting would bring most of them back.
“I cannot say all of them, we can even bring new hands into the PDP.
“So the ball is in our court, not only to discuss and approve the items on the agenda, but to make sure the outcome of the schedule National Convention sends a strong positive message to Nigerians, because that is what is going to define the political landscape in this country,” he stated.
The former governor advised PDP members to be cautious of what they say or do, stating that some cannot be working to rebuild the party while other are trying to demarket it.
“There is a difference between personal opinion and party position. If anybody is speaking on personal opinion, he or she should say so. The party has formal organs for speaking, and that should be respected.
“We must never show to the public that we are a group that anybody can do what he or she likes anytime and anyhow. We must be cautious of each other by what we do or what we don’t do as we move forward,” he added.
Makarfi admitted that there may be differences, but called for caution in expressing opinions, even on those who have left the party, “because what we want is for them to come back now or very, very soon.
“We know that some people are aggrieved, but we have to come down and pull down whatever our grievances may be.
“If we work together, the convention should resolve all grievances. It’s an opportunity, and we must not miss it. We should be patient and make use of it.”
Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed said the party will not continue to condone indiscipline “because indiscipline is what brought us all the problems and challenges.”
