The official inauguration of the new Zonal Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West has been again put on hold indefinitely by the national leadership of the party.
Competent sources at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja told Sunday Tribune at the weekend that the action was due to the fresh crisis now rocking the party on the matter and other vital related ones.
It was gathered that the new zonal Exco of the party under Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe which emerged last month at its zonal congress was to be inaugurated twice last week and had to be shifted because of the crisis in the party and the inability of its National Working Committee (NWC) to hold its weekly statutory meeting where a final decision on the matter ought to have been taken for the inauguration to take place.
According to sources, several prominent party members tried to intervene to ensure that the inauguration was held but failed which reportedly made the members of the new Exco and their associates who have been stranded in Abuja since Monday to return home disappointedly at the weekend counting their losses.
“There is fire on the mountain in the party. There are more pressing issues that need urgent attention but which is not possible for now because of the crisis in the party. As for the South-West issue, the national chairman is saying that the issue was being delayed at the Presidency ,” our source declared.
Sunday Tribune gathered that, already, a mother of all crises now looms in the ruling party ahead of the 2015 elections that may make or mar its fortunes in the elections if not checked.
Sources close the Wadata national secretariat of the party in Abuja told the Sunday Tribune that all “is not well with the party now” as the members of the once solid National Working Committee of the party could no longer speak in one voice on vital issues relating to the day to day running of the party.
One of the sources told the Sunday Tribune that the situation had gone so bad that the weekly or emergency meetings of its NWC had been put on hold while its national chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, was said to be solely running the affairs of the party with other members of the NWC in the dark.
According to one of our sources, “as we speak now, only the national chairman can tell you what is going on in the party. He enjoys the support of one or two members of the NWC, others are considered as rebels. He is the sole administrator; other members are just there as figure heads.”
“One would have expected that the NWC will meet immediately after the last party’s delegate congresses to address all the complaints arising, but nothing like that as we speak. Strange lists are just flying around from the office of the national chairman with little or no input from others, while the financial situation of the party remainstop secret.”
The party was said to have realised over N3billion from the sales of expression of interest and nomination forms to its aspirants in the 2015 general elections.
Attempts by the Sunday Tribune to speak with the national publicity secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, on the matter proved abortive as he was said to have travelled on an official assignment.
However, a top official of the party at its national secretariat in Abuja confirmed the development but said that the presidency was not aware.
“Look,we are in a mess. There is this problem of moral burden. We said that Tukur was bad and they brought in Mu’azu. If we say Mu’azu is bad again and with the coming elections, what do we do? But I think if the presidency wades into the matter early, it will be better for the party,” he declared.
He added that the matter has been reportedly brought to the notice of President Goodluck Jonathan by a few aggrieved members of the National Assembly who felt short-changed in the recent party congresses in their states.
Meanwhile, the NWC has approved the review of timetable for the conduct of its congresses/primaries preparatory to the 2015 elections.
The was contained in a statement made available to news men last night by the National Organising Secretary of the Party, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha.
The statement said that the action is in line with Section 29 (2) (a) and (b) of the Constitution of the party (2012 as amended).
The Statement reads,”the new time-table which supersede the earlier one is as follows:
A. HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY:
a. Return of Forms- 06/11/14 (Completed)
b. Screening- 07-09/11/14 (Completed)
c. Screening Appeal- 10/11/14
d. House of Assembly primaries- 29/11/14
e. Appeals 30/11/14
B. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY:
a. Return of Forms- 14/11/14
b. Screening and Appeals- 19-21/11/14
c. House of Representatives Primaries - 06/12/14
d. Senate Primaries - 07/12/14
e. NASS Appeals - 08/12/14
C. GOVERNORSHIP:
a. Return of Forms- 14/11/14
b. Screening and Appeals- 22-25/11/14
c. Governorship Primaries - 08/12/14
e. Appeals 09/12/14
D. PRESIDENTIAL:
a.Return of Forms- 15/11/14
b.Screening and Appeals- 26/11/14
c.National Convention- 10-11/12/14
It is noted that INEC has been notified of the review.
Source: Tribune
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