Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has postponed its planned National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, scheduled for Thursday, October 28, to November 28, 2024.
A communiqué issued at the end of the party’s expanded Governors’ Forum meeting on Tuesday night, said the move was to allow the party focus on strategising and mobilising for the upcoming Ondo State governorship election, which will hold on November 16, 2024.
The meeting, held at the Bauchi State Governors’ Lodge, Tatari Ali House, Asokoro, Abuja, noted that the decision was arrived at following consultative meeting with various party organs, including the PDP National Working Committee, National Assembly caucus, and Forum of former PDP governors.
“Rising from the consultative meeting of the various organs of the Peoples Democratic Party, the party has resolved that the National Executive Committee meeting, originally slated for 24 October, 2024, has been rescheduled to 28 November, 2024.
“The postponement is to ensure that the party approaches the forthcoming Ondo gubernatorial elections on 16 November, 2024 with the unity and strength required to unseat the struggling All Progressives Congress (APC) government in the state.
“Reiterating the need for unity in the face of efforts by detractors to divide the party, the meeting called on all members to shun divisive utterances that could undermine ongoing efforts to strengthen the party and effectively position it as the country’s main opposition in preparation for the 2027 elections,” the communique read.
Earlier on Tuesday, a faction loyal to Bauchi State Governor and Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed, had sought a court order to prevent the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from postponing the planned NEC meeting.
The lawsuit, filed by a PDP chieftain, Imam Auwal, at a Zamfara State High Court in Gusau, also sought to overturn a judgement of a Federal High Court in Abuja, that barred the PDP from removing its acting national chairman, Umar Damagum.
However, Mohammed expressed support for Damagum’s leadership at the expanded meeting, aimed at easing tensions within the party’s National Working Committee.
The Bauchi governor publicly acknowledged Damagum’s leadership at the meeting.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, Mohammed said: “This is a PDP meeting, not a governors’ meeting. It is not a caucus meeting, but a meeting of PDP stakeholders with one agenda; to reconcile all differences.
“As you can see, we are all united today under the leadership of Umar Damagum, and we are here to discuss vital issues.
“We will resist any attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party state. We will use our experience since 1999 to provide Nigerians with a viable alternative platform.”