PDP faction put party organs on the alert; Wike group upbeat

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has put all its party organs on high alert ahead of the judgment to decide the rightful leadership of the party slated for today. The party has been battling with two factions since the conduct of the last National Convention of the party in Ibadan. The Ibadan Convention produced […]

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has put all its party organs on high alert ahead of the judgment to decide the rightful leadership of the party slated for today.

The party has been battling with two factions since the conduct of the last National Convention of the party in Ibadan.

The Ibadan Convention produced the current National Working Committee, NWC of the party under the leadership of Dr Tanimu Turaki SAN.

However, members of the Party loyal to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and led by Abdulrahman Mohammed and Samuel Anyanwu had created their own caretaker faction and even preparing for National Convention.

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But ahead of the court judgment to be delivered by the Court of Appeal, the Turaki-led Leadership has lined up a meeting of party organs which party sources said is part of the preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Among the meetings slated for this week were the National Caucus, the Board of Trustees, BoT, and the National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of the party.

While the party Spokesman could not be reached to speak on the development, a source within the party told our correspondent that they are confident because the Ibadan Convention that produced Turaki as the National Chairman was duly conducted.

The source said “All congresses were duly concluded, except those currently under litigation, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC was properly served with the required 21-day notice prior to the convention.”

He said that was why the former National Chairman Umar Damagum handed over to the newly elected Turaki led NWC.

He said, the last legally constituted National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Party was held before the convention. The PDP is a party firmly grounded in the rule of law and will never take decisions on matters that are currently before the courts.

“This is precisely why the PDP NEC has not convened, as the party has been awaiting the Court of Appeal judgment to reinforce the Supreme Court position that issues bordering on party membership and leadership are internal party affairs and are therefore not justiciable, meaning the courts cannot exercise jurisdiction over them.

“Once this is clarified, the PDP can proceed with its internal processes and preparations for electioneering activities.” The Source said.

The source also accused the Wike-backed faction of working for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, saying “PDP cannot and will never be reduced to a group of individuals operating through a WhatsApp group, allocating positions to themselves from an APC office, and appointing people from the streets as self-proclaimed BoT and NEC members.

“It is deeply troubling that some of these elements are openly campaigning for the APC while simultaneously attempting to undermine and destabilize the PDP.

“These individuals have behaved as though they are above the law. Despite the fact that the PDP Convention remains under litigation, they continue to push forward with their illegal structure, openly disregarding due process and showing contempt for the authority and integrity of the judiciary.”

Meanwhile reacting to the development Honourable Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, the National Publicity Secretary of the Wike faction said they were 100 percent optimistic of a favorable judgment about the outcome because they are relying on the provision of law and the law is clear, “you cannot place something on nothing and expect it to stand. That convention was done in clear disobedience of a valid court judgement. It was done in violation of clear, extant laws. That is the Electoral Act, the Constitution of the People’s Democratic Party.

“You cannot conduct any exercise in violation of all these provisions and, to crown it all a court of competent jurisdiction gave directives that don’t do it, they went ahead and did it, a convention that does not have the backing, the monitoring and supervision of INEC. “

Muhammed said, the appellate court will look at all these issues dispassionately and give a decisive judgment by affirming the decisions of the lower courts which is already in our favour.

“In addition, there’s a recent supreme court decision in a case between Isiaku of Bwari area council who just won the area council seat and APC, the supreme court made it emphatically clear that the issue of internal affairs of a political party is not absolute. “You cannot violate rules with reckless abandon and then assume that they are all within the ambit of internal affairs of a party.

“The supreme court said it is not absolute, on the strength of that, we are so confident 100 percent that the appellate court will give judgment in our favor. “

Speaking on the planned NEC meeting, he called on all law abiding PDP members to disregard the gathering, “While it is within their own rights to choose to do whatever they want to do with their lives the same way they held a Amala carnival in Ibadan, this one that they choose to do it in Abuja, will be a combination of Gwari tribal and that of Bauchi carnival.

“That meeting is by all intent and purpose and by all ramifications is a complete nullity.

It’s another festival. It’s inconsequential. Let them go and take tea. Let them go and take ‘kunu’ to break their fast.”