Calm returns to PDP as NWC, BoT affirm Akinwonmi as Acting Chairman

OBIORA IFOH,  Abuja

Calm may have returned to People’s Democratic Party (PDP) after days of crises as a result of the leadership tussle that engulfed the opposition party following the unanimously endorsement of Elder Yemi Akinwonmi as the Acting Chairman of PDP by top organs of the party, the  National Working Committee (NWC) and the Board of Trustees  (BoT).

The party further reiterated its resolve to hold its elective convention in October and resolved to come up with a list for the zoning and convention committee members during it’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated to hold on Saturday.

Addressing the press at the end of the meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on Thursday at the Party’s headquarters in Abuja, the Spokesperson of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan said that the party’s leadership unnamimously endorsed Akinwonmi as its Acting Chairman following the sack of Prince Uche Secondus by a High Court in Port Hacourt.

He said, “I can clearly say on behalf of our party that we have navigated the turbulence that we found ourselves in and today, like you all witnesses when you came in, there are no factions in the Peoples Democratic Party.

“A motion was moved and Elder Yemi Akinwonmi was unanimously approved as the Acting Chairman of our great party.

“It is interesting for Nigerians to know that this is in line with the provisions of our Constitution. Our party is fully back on stream, we are sailing smoothly and I will also want to let you know that as you can witness our Board of Trustees meeting is going on as we speak. Tomorrow, we are going to have a caucus meeting, and the National Executive Committee will also meet tomorrow in preparation for the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which will hold on Saturday” he said.

When asked if all the factions in the NWC members were in agreement on the approval of Akinwonmi as the party’s acting Chairman, he responded

“It was a unanimous meeting. There are no sides in the Democratic Party. We can have arguments and like I said, we can even have turbulence, but what’s important is how we are able to cruise through the turbulence and have safe landing on arrival.

“So, for us in the Peoples Democratic Party, so far, so good. I want to thank Nigerians for their interest in the activities of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last couple of weeks, and I want them to know that as a party, we are back as one” Ologbondiyan stated.

Addressing a meeting of members of Board of Trustee at the party headquarters, the Acting Chairman reiterated that PDP is one and back to take over from the ruling party.

“PDP is not dead contrary to what people are saying in the media and social media. PDP is coming stronger than before. That there is a little squabbble in PDP is not my making or that of my colleagues. It is situation that called for it  but we are responded to it quickly. We have closed ranks. We have put our house in order.

“The NWC have accepted and adopted the end of October as end of our tenure. We will soon set the machinery of the convention in motion. We will soon set the ball rolling for us to have our convention and have new set of officers to come and pilot the affairs of our party.

“In Unity, we shall succeed and PDP shall regain presidency again. Let us work hard. This is the time for PDP to win. This is the time will should be united. This is the time there should be no acrimony. So that we will regain our stolen property” he said.

Also in his speech, the BoT Chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin said that the party has resolved all teething problems and ready for a seamless convention.

“The BoT accepted the position of the acting chairman of our party, following the provisions in the constitution of the party. That is,  the Deputy National Chairman South should resume as the acting chairman of the party.

“The NWC has accepted the documents submitted by the larger caucus of governors, National Assembly members, former governors, former ministers, and so on and these include: the coming elective convention will be in October. They have also agreed to come with a proposed list to the BoT for their own input before the NEC. The NEC meeting has been fixed for Saturday. Before the NEC, there will be a meeting of BoT, there will be a meeting of caucus”.

Earlier in his remarks, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar commended the BoT from bringing order back to the party.

“I want to commend the BoT. Since we lost power, this BoT has become the most active organ in providing leadership to our great party. Hitherto, since the inception of the party, because we had always had a President who overshadowed the BoT. Now that we are in opposition, we can now see the importance of the BoT. I congratulate all members of the BoT for providing leadership to our party”.

The Waziri Adamawa explained that his long absence from the party was as a result of the fact that he was pursuing a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Cambridge University.

“I believe PDP will meet up to the expectations of Nigerians because they know us more than any other party, we provided the best governance since the return of democracy to this country and I believe Nigerians are not going to forget those good old days.

“But what makes you different is the ability to resolve that crisis and we have proved to Nigerisns that we have that ability to resolve our internal crisis. The crises facing the country- banditry, kidnapping, name it, we have the capacity to resolve those crises. I want to let you know that I won’t be travelling to Dubai again. I will always be around with you”.

Present at the meeting were former Senate Presidents Iyorchia Ayu, David Mark, Pius Anyim, Bukola Saraki, Tom Ikimi, BoT Secretary Evans Ewerem and many others

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