Party leaders yesterday voiced differing opinions regarding the stance taken by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Mr. Nyesom Wike and some worried PDP members, who believe the party’s 2027 presidential ticket should be located in the southern region.
The PDP’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, former Deputy National Chairman Chief Bode George, and Board of Trustees (BoT) member Mr. Jones Onyereri disagreed yesterday about the Wike-led stakeholders’ stance.
Wike urged for the PDP 2027 presidential ticket to be zoned to the south during a meeting with a group of concerned stakeholders in Abuja on Monday.
Additionally, they supported Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s reaffirmation as the National Secretary of the party.
This came after Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the former governor of Ekiti State, issued a warning that if immediate action is not taken to turn the PDP around, it could turn into a political “carcass.”
In an interview with Vanguard, Mr. Onyereri, a former member of the House of Representatives, responded to the meeting that Wike and the G-5 governors organized by claiming that it was poorly organized.
“The problem is that it (NEC) wasn’t convened properly,” he stated. Only the National Secretary is authorized to send out letters on behalf of the party, as stated explicitly in Section 47, subsections 1, 2, 1, 3, and 5, or thereabouts.
Members were not notified of the meeting by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the National Secretary. He even sent a letter to confirm the cancellation of the meeting. That, in my opinion, is the main issue: it wasn’t convened correctly.
Prominent national stakeholders have reiterated that Senator Anyanwu is the legitimately elected and serving National Secretary. To that end, a communiqué has been released. We have also consistently emphasized that the PDP must follow its constitution, which upholds the zoning idea.
“In this regard, we’ve always stated that the zoning for the 2027 presidential election should favor the South,” Onyereri remarked in reference to the South’s presidential ticket zoning. The communiqué, which was read aloud yesterday (Monday), contained such information.
Chief Olabode George, the former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, cautioned that family affairs are not addressed in the marketplaces.
“We do not discuss family matters in the marketplace, and we have a functional national executive of the party,” Geroge stated. Everyone is expected to keep quiet regarding the specifics of the topics we wish to cover during the June 30 meeting. I would like to make it clear that this is not how we conduct our party; if it were, we would be sharing our secrets with the enemy. I advise everyone to put out their fires and wait for the next NEC meeting because this is getting too nasty.
Additionally, the Wike-led “Concerned Stakeholders” group’s viewpoint is in line with the PDP’s official position, according to Umar Bature, the party’s national organizing secretary.
“We don’t even know what happened at the meeting,” Bature stated in an interview with Vanguard. How are we to respond, then? Does what they stated in the communique conflict with the party’s beliefs? Not in my opinion.
“The role of secretary is obvious. I am aware that some people are intentionally being naughty. The legal position is rather clear, and failure to follow it could put the party in danger.
Bature stated: “No decision taken during that NEC meeting was binding on the party,” in response to the stakeholders’ assertion that the most recent NEC meeting was improperly called. There might have been reason for concern if a binding decision had been made, but none was.
When approached, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, the PDP’s national publicity secretary, stated that the party would address Wike’s stance when the time was right.
We will react, and you will receive it when we do,” Ologunagba stated. That is overseen by a committee. Our party follows a procedure, and we have a NEC. The party will react suitably.
Ayodele Fayose, the former governor of Ekiti State, has reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to the PDP and stated that he has no plans to join the All Progressives Congress, or APC.
“No one is saying it is easy for Nigerians,” Fayose remarked Monday night when paying President Bola Tinubu a courtesy call at his home in Ikoyi, Lagos. There is no overnight miracle that can change the situation.
We have to give the President credit for what little he has accomplished. Although I was critical of the previous administration, the current state of affairs cannot be compared. I was there to push him to do more for the nation in addition to celebrating his homecoming.
The former governor responded, “I’m no longer in the frontline; I am not a sitting governor anymore,” when asked what he was doing to assist reposition the PDP. I made important contributions while I served as governor of Ekiti State. Everyone knew that I was a powerful advocate for the PDP and a hotbed of dissent. However, I am only able to provide support today. Nevertheless, I have to be honest: the PDP is on the verge of collapse unless immediate action is taken.
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