The National Caretaker Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has assured that the forthcoming convention of the party will be transparent and devoid of rancour.
The convention is slated for Saturday, December 9, 2017 at the Eagles Square in Abuja. This is even as the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) also emphasised that no candidate has been anointed for any of the positions but said that aspirants on their own can reach for consensus.
Also, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party at the end of its meeting on Thursday in Abuja cautioned aspirants to the office of the PDP national chairman from disparaging each other, use of foul language or any other action that will bring the party to disrepute.
Makarfi gave the assurance during the 77th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja. Makarfi, who passed through series of litigations from the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff who was claiming same position and had his tenure elongated by a non-elective convention, said that the party will conduct direct primaries if aspirants fail to reach consensus.
He ,however, reminded them that the issue of micro zoning is a creation of the zones and not of the party. He explained that some of the decisions the NCC took was based on the information at their disposal, adding that the feedback from the campaigns of the aspirants showed that PDP is getting stronger.
He said: “I will like to thank all of you for standing for the party and the NCC. Whether people like it or not, PDP is getting strong and we are getting all the publicity.
We try to take every information into consideration and we try to explain ourselves for the action taken”. He advised those who were not victorious at the convention to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship.
“There is a lot of goodness in unity. The PDP is like Nigeria, a diversified party but a united party. What you don’t get today, you will get it tomorrow. Everyone cannot get all the things all the time.
“We consulted with all relevant organs so that we can create a better understanding among ourselves,” Makarfi stated. The caretaker chairman informed state party chairmen to cross-check the list of delegates already transmitted to the national secretariat party to confirm that it is the authentic list.
Also in his remarks, Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwabo, who spoke on behalf of other governors, urged the aspirants to learn from the lessons of the past, assuring them of the resolve of the NCC to conduct a transparent convention.
Dankwabo said, “I want to congratulate the party for the rebirth that has taken place throughout the country following the activities of the contestants.
As leaders of this party, we need to organise ourselves so as to earn the respect of our members. “The PDP governors are solidly working with the NCC and will do everything possible to ensure that the convention is very smooth.”
The Board of Trustee (BoT) chairman, Senator Walid Jubrin, also used the occasion to deny the allegation in the social media that the BoT has disqualified three national chairmanship aspirants, saying that the BoT does not screen nor set the rules that will qualify aspirants.
“This is completely untrue. It is not the BoT that set the rules and regulations for the candidates, it is not the BoT that screen candidates.
“The BoT is the conscience of the party. We have never held any meeting to anoint any candidate for the chairmanship and we are not ready to do so. We are aware that there are some delegates who are following some aspirants. They are doing so on their own and the BoT is not supporting them,” Jubrin emphasised.
He warned that new groups are emerging from the party, adding that if the party is not cautious, something grave may happen at the convention. “New groups are emerging, discussing about the convention.
If care is not taken, we shall have a terrible outing during the convention. BoT is ready to work with the NCC. BoT is ready to work with the Governors’ Forum.
“Aspirants are free to go for consensus but if consensus fail, let them go into election. In his goodwill message, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, stressed the importance of a credible convention to the party and reminded whoever emerges as the Chairman of the burden to carry all members along.
He said: “The next 10 days is very important to us as a party. Our prayer is to get it right and meet the aspirations of the people that PDP should return in 2019.
“I want to appeal to all those who have accepted our decision to know that the least we can do is to ensure that the convention is fair and transparent and seen to be so.
“If it is fair, then I am sure that everyone will accept the outcome of the convention. “Whoever is going to be the chairman should know that he has a lot of burden on his neck because the success of the party will depend on his action or inaction,” he said. On those who may not be successful and try to disrupt the convention, Ekweremadu advised that they learn through the convention.
“Any person who thinks that he will disrupt PDP if he does not get it should learn from the past and know that power comes from God,” Ekweremadu stated.
Meanwhile, at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party, the NEC cautioned aspirants from disparaging each other, use of foul language or any other action that will bring the party to disrepute.
This was made known by the National Publicity of the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, while briefing the press at the party’s national headquarters on Thursday. He said that the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which held on Thursday, approved the report of the congresses organised in some states where state executives were dissolved in the accordance with the August 12th non-elective convention resolution.
Adeyeye also said that NEC equally approved the list of committee and subcommittee members for the conduct of December 9 National Convention at the Eagle square Abuja. He said that some of the states where the executives were dissolved include Adamawa, Borno, Kebbi, Kwara and Oyo while Osun convention is yet to be conducted.
According to the party’s spokesperson, NCC lauded the efforts of the aspirants who transversed the length and breadth of the country, engaging stakeholders and making the party more popular through their meetings.
He said that even the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is afraid to organise a common NEC because they have nothing to show for their stewardship. He said: “NCC submitted the congress reports to NEC which they approved. The composition of convention planning committee and subcommittee were also approved by NEC.
“We admonished some of the candidates to tame their utterances, to be civil to each other, avoid foul languages and not to cast aspersions on the NCC. We told them not to disparage each other and know that they are going to work together after the convention”. He assured that the party will create a level playing ground for all the aspirants.
“We are going to organise the most credible convention in history. We have said that if they have any concern at all, they should say it and we shall address it, Adeyeye added. On the threat that some groups were planning parallel convention, he said: “We are not under any threat that there will be a parallel convention or that our aspirants are going to do anything funny”.
On the number of delegates, Adeyeye said about 2,800 elected delegates and statutory delegates are expected to attend the convention.
The NEC was attended by Senator David Mark, State Governors: Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Ibrahim Dankwabo (Gombe); Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) and Emmanuel Udom of (Akwa Ibom) Others are the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi, Sir Okechukwu, Senators Godswill Akoabio and Abiodun Olujumi, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, and Prof. Jerry Gana among other stakeholders.
