Acting National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum is in a closed-door meeting with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu and the Commission National Commissioners.
The PDP chairman Damagum led Bala Mohammed, Seyi Makinde, Caleb Mutfwang, Dauda Lawal; the Governors of Bauchi, Oyo and Plateau states, respectively to the INEC closed-door meeting.
He was also accompanied by former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Senate Minority Leader, Abba Morro and former vice-presidential candidate, Senator Ben Obi, amongst others.
Damagum in his remarks before the meeting dissolved into closed door session said the meeting, at the instance of the main opposition party was to seek clarification on why the electoral umpire maintained that the party could not proceed with its 100th NEC meeting scheduled for June 30th.
He said;” We are here because of issues pertaining to our National Secretary. We are here, to discuss because we had NEC and there was a decision of NEC which mandated me to write the letter.
We are here to interact with you, offcamera so that whatever we arrived at can guide our position.
We felt we should converge together.”
Investigation revealed that the Commission in its response to a letter of Notification of the scheduled NEC from the PDP National Secretariat, noted that the letter signed by Damagum ought to have been signed jointly by both national chairman and secretary.
Recall that Samuel Anyanwu and Udeh Okoye have been parading themselves as National Secretary of the party. While the former is the favored choice of former Rivers State Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Okoye is believed to enjoy the support of certain governors of the party.
The INEC Chairman in his speech made reference to the leadership tussle as he recalled that the erstwhile ruling party had in recent correspondence with the Commission paraded three individuals as acting National Secretary.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, the PDP acting national chairman described the meeting as “very, very fruitful.”
He further disclosed that the PDP NWC would convene a meeting of its stakeholders, prior to the June 30th NEC meeting.
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