Aggrieved PDP stakeholders to inaugurate parallel NWC January 22

Aggrieved stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the December 9, 2017 election have fixed January 22, 2018 for the inauguration of a parallel National Working Committee (NWC).

They also seek the proscription of the PDP Governors Forum, which they said was oppressive and retrogressive.The group while maintaining that they believe in a united PDP, insisted on the nullification of the outcome of December 9 PDP national convention. 

While they declared that it is within their fundamental right as enshrined in the freedom of association to form a faction, they however said they were not out to pull down the party.

Leader of the group, Emmanuel Obi-Nwosu, who spoke in Abuja, said “finally, the inauguration of the authentic National Working Committee (NWC) of our great party will take place on Monday, the 22nd of January, 2018. This is to enable all members of the NWC who travelled out for holidays to return.”

He continued: “Only organs of the party as duly recognized by the party constitution shall henceforth function as stipulated in the constitution. To this end, the hitherto oppressive and retrogressive anti democratic PDP Governors Forum; which is completely alien to the party constitution is hereby proscribed.

“The recommendations of the well constituted strategy and Inter-Party Committee; which as jettisoned by the defunct National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of the party; will be revisited with a view to ensuring its full implementation.”

They assured that under their watch, all presidential and other elective office aspirants will be guaranteed level playing field during the forthcoming primaries. “No more shall our party entertain any form it list, whether unity or divisive. The party constitution hall be followed to the letter in the conduct of all future party elections”, he said.

Obi-Nwosu, who denied that they are working against the ongoing peace process within the party, said what they are doing is one of the major means of resolving internal dispute.

He added “What happened in eagle square does not require reconciliation but restitution. What we are doing is to ensure that what was done wrong is done right. What we need in PDP now is thorough internal party democracy.”

On whether they will head to court, Obi-Nwosu, said “the Board of Trustees (BoT) has been vested with powers to arbitrate on the matter”. He however said those who feel aggrieved can go to court. While refuting claims that BoT has accused them of trying to cause distability in the party, he said the BoT Chairman, Sen Walid Jibrin, “called me personally and said he has gone for medical checks and when he returned we will have a meeting.”

He added: “What we are doing is part of internal mechanism to ensure that PDP does not go down. We are asking for restitution. You reconcile two people when there is a misunderstanding, you don’t reconcile people when a man kills another person’s son. What you do is restitution. There has to be punishment. The only thing BoT will do is to do the right thing.”

On why they were operating from another secretariat, he recalled that during the recent crisis that rocked the party, the two camps operated from two secretariats. He said rather than taking laws into their hands, they decided to open their own secretariat, stressing that factionalisation is allowed in every democracy, which he said “is there fundamental right as contained in the constitution. We have a right of freedom of association”.

On the question over their party membership, he said: “We are all card carrying members of PDP, most of us served in the recent national convention. Letters were written to us in recognition of our contribution to the party. You don’t appoint non-party members into the party. 

“It is exercise in futility to paint members of this party in bad light by saying that we are not party members. We can’t sell our party. Most of the people causing the problem just joined the PDP. They just chanced into power and they believe they can subdue everybody.”On his part, former deputy director of the Prof Tunde Adeniran Campaign Organisation, Chief Akindele, said his former national chairman aspirant is not behind their movement.