PDP crisis : Hold next convention in Abuja •BoT tell Makarfi-led caretaker committee

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the crisis-ridden Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, rose from a crucial meeting on how to resolve the crisis of the party, and  directed the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee to hold the next national convention of the party in Abuja.

In a communique read by its chairman, Senator Walid Jubrin,  after  meeting the body,  also directed that a new convention planning committee should be constituted by the caretaker committee.

It added that the planning committee should be approved by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

The communique read in part: “The next convention should be held in Abuja.

“To ensure a credible, transparent, free and fair convention, a new convention planning committee should be constituted by the National Caretaker Committee and approved by NEC.”

Walid added that the BoT should facilitate the raising of adequate funds for the party and urged the board’s reconciliation committee, headed by Professor Jerry Gana, to continue with all good efforts for the reconciliation.

Passing a vote of confidence on the national caretaker committee, the BoT charged the committee to as soon as possible, convene a meeting of the NEC to accordingly approve proposals for moving the party forward.

Recall that the planning committee of the botched convention of the party in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was headed by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, which the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s faction kicked against.

Sheriff had insisted that as part of the conditions for resolving the crisis in the party,  Governor Wike should not be the chairman of the convention planning committee.

Sheriff also demanded that the convention should be shifted from Port Harcourt to Abuja.