Postponing Oct 24 NEC will compound PDP Crisis – Ex-Officio members warn NWC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Conference of National Ex-Officio members has warned that any attempt to postpone the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for October 24, 2024, will compound the crisis in the party.

The warning is coming on the heels of what the group described as an escalating crisis within the top leadership of the party.

The National ex-officio members of the party have also thrown their weight behind the peace effort of the PDP Governors Forum led by the Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed.

The ex-officio members in a statement signed by Dr. Yunana Ilya (North Central), Dr. Nicholas Mshelia (North East), Chief Madu Chinemerem (South East), Chief Patrick Agbe (South- South), Chief Faboyede Clement (South West) and Alhaji Ibrahim Alhaji (North West), expressed deep concern over the state of affairs in the PDP.

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They also highlighted what they referred to as a “dangerous turn of events” in the recent past, saying it has the potential to destabilize the party.

According to the statement, “As an integral part of NEC of our great party, and one of its last bastions with the grassroots, who believed 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. We have viewed with utter dismay and concern the dangerous turn of events within the top echelon of our party in recent times. These events have the tendency to shake the very foundation of our party.”

The national ex-officio members emphasized the need for a NEC meeting to provide a platform where aggrieved party members can voice their concerns and seek resolutions.

They said, “The NEC meeting will afford members who are aggrieved the opportunity to be heard and their issues addressed.”

They further explained that the PDP Constitution mandates that the NEC meets at least once every quarter, regretting that the party has failed to adhere to this provision.

While acknowledging that the internal disagreements have remained unresolved, the ex-officio members praised the efforts of the PDP Governors’ Forum, led by the governor of Bauchi State.