The National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi on Monday inuagurated the National Convention Planning Committee for his Convention slated for Saturday in Abja and debunked the speculations that the party extended special concession to former vice president, Atiku Abubakar as precondition for his defection to the party.
Speaking while inaugurating the Committee headed by the Delta state Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa , Makarfi reassured that the NCC was out for free, fair and transparency Convention
According to Makarfi, Atiku never asked for any for any concession from the National Caretaker Committee prior to his return to PDP while no condition was also offered him to do so .
“PDP did not extend any special concession to Atiku and the party will not extend any special concession to any other person
“Atiku never asked we conceded anything to him and we never gave him anything.”
He allayed the fears of PDP members over the possibility of the party imposing a presidential on them in 2019
“The party members reserves their right to give mandate to anyone they wish to give their mandate to.”Makarfi expressed satisfaction with the Tuesday judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting in Ekiti which nullified the judgment of a High Court that would have affected the smooth conduct of the December 9 national convention.
He said a particular serving senator from the South West is behind most of the problems confronting the party.
He urged all contestants contesting for various offices at the convention to continue to go about their campaign with decorum.
In his remarks , the chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin declared that the board is ready to partner with the National Working Committee, Governors Forum and all other stakeholders in the party to ensure the success of the national convention.
On the speculation that some BoT members were sponsoring a particular chairmanship candidate, Senator Jubrin declared that the “BoT has no hidden agenda.”In his response, the chairman of the Convention Planning Committee, Governor Okowa gave assurance that the “electoral process will be free and faiir
The Arewa People Democratic Party (PDP) Pathfinders has urged the party’ Caretaker Committee and all relevant stakeholders not to allow vested interest jeopardise the interest of the party in the December 9 convention.
The coordinator of the group, Mr Abdullahi Ali-Kano gave the advice while briefing journalists in Abuja on Monday.
Ali-Kano said the group was in support of the position taken by the northern leader to zone the chairmanship of the party the south-west.
According to him, “the PDP northern leaders only re-echoed the position of the PDP southern leaders meeting which held in Rivers
“We wish to categorically state that we strongly align ourselves with the position of the northern elders and leaders for equity, justice, unity and cohesion of the party,” he said.
He said the southern leaders also unanimously agreed to micro-zone the party’ National Chairmanship to the south-west zone.
Ali-Kano called on the northern delegates to heed to the decision to ensure justice and equity in the party.
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