Tension remains high as leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), hold a crucial National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, today (Thursday).
Indications of what to expect began from the meeting of the National Working Committee which was presided over by the National Chairman, Iyiochia Ayu, at the National Secretariat, on Wednesday.
Although the meeting dwelt heavily on the agenda for to be presented to the party’s Caucus and NEC, the party’s effort to reconcile aggrieved members also featured.
A source privy what transpired behind closed doors, said, “The meeting was basically to iron out some housekeeping issues such as the membership and structure of the Presidential campaign council, how to handle disagreements in some state chapters especially Kano and Osun States.
“The party will decide whether to have congresses or some form of adhoc arrangements among others.”
The source also said, “issues discussed also included the party’s reconciliation efforts. It was noted that the NWC needed to do more to resolve the dispute because as things stand, what we see are individual and group efforts.”
It was gathered that some members of the NWC from the Southern part of the country , expressed the opinion that the party’s National Chairman could have handled the issue better.
It was also learnt that a group of 15 NWC members held a meeting at the Abuja residence of a prominent member (names withheld) on Tuesday night and resolved to pass a vote of no confidence on the National Chairman.
The NWC has 19 members.
However, the national publicity secretary of PDP, Debo Ologunagba, denied speculations that there was a move to get Ayu to step aside during Wednesday’s NWC meeting.
He said throughout Wednesday’s NWC which he attended the issue of Ayu stepping aside was never mentioned.
The PDP has been embroiled in crisis of confidence over the call by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and some stakeholders for Ayu to resign.
The call followed allegations of a preponderance of Northerners in the top positions in the party to the exclusion of the south contrary to PDP constitutional provisions.
As things stand today, the party presidential candidate, national chairman, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, and the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum all coming from the North.
In a related development, Governor Wike was conspicuously absent from a meeting of ex-Presidential aspirants of the party convened by Atiku, in Abuja.
Also absent were former Senate Presidents: Bukola Saraki and Pius Anyim. Those at the meeting included: Dele Momodu, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, Tari Oliver, and Charles Ugwu.
The PDP standard bearer expressed gratitude to them for accepting his invitation while formally thanking them for accepting the outcome of the primary that produced him as candidate.
