Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors have asked the acting national chairman of PDP, Ambassador Illiya Damagum to call for the holding of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting as soon as possible.
The governors, under the aegis of the PDP Governors Forum, after a meeting in Abuja yesterday also declared their support for the party
Recall that a party chieftain, governorship aspirant in Ogun State during the 2023 general elections, Segun Sowunmi, has sued the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP for its failure to convene a NEC meeting.
The PDP chieftain emphasised that over a year and three months have passed since the last NEC meeting was held, highlighting a lapse since the removal of the previous chairman, Iyoricha Ayu.
The NEC, the second most influential decision making body of PDP after the national convention, is supposed to meet quarterly according to the party’s constitution.
But speaking yesterday, the chairman of the PDP forum and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, “The meeting further reviewed recent developments in the Peoples Democratic Party and committed to leading efforts to revamp and reposition the party to serve as an effective opposition to the ruling Party in Nigeria.
“Furthermore, the Forum passed a vote of confidence in the Iliya Damagum led National Working Committee (NWC) of the Party and urged it to put in motion the machinery for convening meetings of the appropriate organs of the party – from Caucus to National Executive Committee (NEC) as soon as possible.”
On the uproar arising from the ward congresses in the Edo State chapter of PDP ahead of the party’s primaries, the governors said there is no division in the party.
Recall that some aggrieved aspirants threatened legal action over alleged irregularities surrounding the exercise.
However Mohammed said said: “We are 100 percent behind Edo and you can see that there is no rancour, there is no division and we are very much behind the National Workings Committee, the state chapter of the party and indeed the governor to make sure that we go together in unison to produce a successor for the most respected eldest governor in the governors forum.”
Apart from the governors of Akwa-Ibom Ibom and Osun States, all other PDP governors were present at the meeting which was held at the Oyo State governor’s lodge.