N/Central kicks as PDP NWC postpones NEC meeting to October

Some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the North Central zone have berated the party’s decision to reschedule its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting initially planned for August, to October 24, 2024.

Aside from ratifying new party officials, the meeting, according to party leaders from the North Central, is crucial in electing a new substantive chairman from the zone who would succeed the acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and complete the tenure of the suspended Dr Iyorchia Ayu.

The National Working Committee (NWC) previously delayed the NEC meeting two times, from the original date of August 15, to September 26, and now to October.

The latest rescheduling, however, sparked discontent among party members, particularly from the North Central.

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A notice from Senator Samuel Anyanwu, PDP’s national secretary, cited the need for more time to conclude congresses in several states as the reason for the delay.

However, a North Central NEC member, who requested anonymity, expressed frustration with the postponements.

He said the leaders of the party from the zone had been accusing the NWC of evading the issue of electing a substantive national chairman and violating the party’s constitution.

The source said, “We are astonished by this extension. The NWC seems to be stalling the process to maintain Damagum’s position. This is a blatant breach of the party’s constitution. The North Central stakeholders will soon make their stance known, and this injustice will not persist.”

But the NWC, in the notice signed by Anyanwu, explained that the delays were due to unresolved congresses in some states attributed to litigations, disagreements among stakeholders and logistical issues.

States affected include Abia and Ebonyi, while congresses are ongoing in Benue, Ekiti, Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun and Sokoto.

The NWC added, “Without finalising the congresses in these states, complete congress reports cannot be presented to the NEC as required.”